I am sure that you all are feeling the election year fatigue. Two weeks ago, 3,700 of you voted for new representatives for your CU Student Government. Last week, thousands of you made the trip to the University Club to drop of your mail-in ballots and vote early. And, tomorrow, I am hoping that anyone else who is registered to vote and has yet to take part in our democracy will make the trip to their polling place and do so.

This election will undoubtedly be a nail-biter. The polls show the Presidential election to be a dead heat and, in Colorado, the winner will likely be decided by a few thousand or even a few hundred votes. In a swing state, that means that your vote could very well be the deciding factor for who becomes the next President of the United States. We also have two amendments to our state constitution that will also likely come down to close votes. Amendment 64 will legalize marijuana and regulate it -- if passed -- and Amendment 65 will instruct Colorado's legislators to vote in favor for a constitutional amendment that would overturn the infamous Citizens United Supreme Court Case.

CUSG would like to thank all of you for voting and encourage those who still have yet to exercise their right to vote to attend your polling place tomorrow. You can find your polling place at govotecolorado.com.

After the election, if you still find yourself with an itch for politics and public service, I would encourage you to get involved in your Student Government. Every night Legislative Council meets to discuss issues related to students and pass legislation in UMC Room 247. Concerned students are allowed to bring issues to the Council during the public open comment period, and I would urge you to do just that. Every week important bills and resolutions that affect funding for your cost centers and student groups, that set policies on campus, and that advocate for student causes are passed and we welcome you to join us!

I am also happy to report that this year will be the first in a long time in which CUSG has a presence at the state capitol during the 69th Colorado General Assembly. Many of you may have heard the unfortunate news recently that Colorado is now 50th in funding for higher education. This means that we fund our public schools less than any other state in the nation. CUSG is looking to change that, but we need your help. We need students to lobby our Senators and Representatives and make sure that we are funding our future. CUSG will have at least one paid staffer at the Capitol two times per week, starting on Jan. 9. We are incredibly excited to work with the Legislature to make sure that legislation is passed that benefits and invests in Colorado students. As always, we are welcome for suggestions on legislation that you would like to see us working on. If you have any ideas or recommendations, please feel free to send them to me at cusg.vp.external@colorado.edu !

Tyler Spence Quick is the CU Student Government's vice-president for external affairs.