AMY GOOD GUY: Okay, Juan, today is Election Day. Last day of voting in the USA.

JUAN GONZALEZ: Yes Amy, it is. And you know, in times like these, everyone needs to take stock, even though clearly voting is not the main determinant of social change in the country. And I know that many progressives and first-time voters faced an excruciating dilemma this year; a choice between two unsatisfactory candidates, especially for Americans outraged by our government’s continued support for Israel’s year-long genocidal assault on Gaza and all the bombings. Assassinations carried out by Israel in the Middle East. So I guess it’s understandable that many people refuse to vote for any of the candidates, choosing third-party candidates instead or simply disagreeing.

But this isn’t the first time Americans have faced such dire choices. I remember in 1968, when I was still in my early twenties and the country faced a choice between Republican Richard Nixon and Democrat Hubert Humphrey. Another terrible war was going on in Vietnam, which would eventually cost the lives of 2 million Vietnamese. And at that time there were war crimes committed directly by the United States, the use of napalm and Agent Orange, and the massive bombing of civilian areas in Vietnam. And at home, Nixon was clearly using racist rhetoric about law and order against protests, mass protests of Black Americans, just as Trump today uses racist imagery against immigrants from Latin America, Africa, and the Caribbean. And Nixon was promising to end the war in Vietnam if elected. And that’s why many of us refused to vote in that election. And of course Nixon prevailed, thus paving the way for the modern shift to the right in US domestic and foreign policy. Rather than ending the war, Nixon expanded it. He invaded Cambodia and Laos, and the killings continued for another six years in Southeast Asia.

And it would take many years for some of us to realize that we had made a big mistake by not participating in the election. I do not claim to judge what people are doing now, but I would advise those who have not yet decided that it may be difficult to make these decisions at election time, but sometimes these decisions may be necessary to open public opinion. Path of possible change in the future.

AMY GOOD GUY: Today we’ll look at elections across the country, from House to Senate races, to false and disinformation campaigns across the country, and the possibility of challenges to the entire certification process. Tonight, Democracy Now! we will do something four hour special on democracynow.org and on radio and television stations nationwide from 8 a.m. to midnight Eastern Time. We’ll be getting an expanded two-hour show again tomorrow, from 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. Eastern Standard Time. But back now, Donald Trump is laying the groundwork to challenge the results again if he loses to Kamala Harris. we will talk with New York Times Reporter Jim Rutenberg. Stay with us.