Kamala Harris Is Urging People To "Vote Like Our Lives Depend On It"

As voters headed to the polls on Nov. 3, Kamala Harris went online with a fiery call to action. The California senator, who made history as the first Black and first South Asian American woman to be a VP nominee on a major-party ticket, took to Twitter with a few informational messages — and a stark warning — for voters to help them cast their ballots more safely on Nov. 3. In addition to reminding people to "mask up" while voting, Kamala Harris' Election Day 2020 post shared an election hotline and urged people to "vote like our lives depend on it."

With just hours to go until polls closed around the country, Harris headed online early on Tuesday morning to ask voters not to wait on casting their ballots while sharing a few informational tools to help people do so. "Election Day is here, and polling places across the country are starting to open," Harris wrote on the social media platform. She also reminded voters to make sure to wear a mask and find their polling places at IWillVote.com before the deadline.

But Harris' most impassioned plea came in tweet about why it is so important for voters to vote in the presidential race, as she argued "our democracy" depends on people turning out and making their voices be heard.

"Today we must vote like our lives depend on it. Because they do. We must vote like our democracy depends on it. Because it does," she told her followers, ending her message on a slightly more hopeful note.

"And we must vote like justice, equality, and opportunity are possible," she continued, "Because they are."

Harris also provided information for any people experiencing voter suppression tactics or intimidation of any kind. "Don’t allow anything to come between you and your vote," she tweeted, urging people to reach out to their voter hotline if they had any concerns.

Last but not least, the former Attorney General addressed the coronavirus pandemic, saying, "When @JoeBiden and I are in the White House we’ll listen to scientists, promote masks to save lives, implement nationwide testing and tracing, and ensure vaccines are free to all."

Harris' call to action to "vote like your life depends on it" comes amidst rising numbers of coronavirus cases around the country. As of Tuesday, Nov. 3, 9.38 million people have contracted COVID-19 in the United States, and 231,000 people have died from the illness.

President Trump has come under heavy criticism, both domestically and abroad, for his handling of the pandemic in the United States and his failure to implement a nationwide mask mandate and other precautionary measures. In addition to repeatedly claiming the virus would just "disappear," the president has garnered criticism for telling the public not to be "afraid of Covid" after he was hospitalized due to complications from the disease.

Meanwhile, Biden and Harris have outlined a seven-point plan for dealing with the pandemic, including increasing testing and production of personal protective equipment, working with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to come up with a comprehensive reopening plan, and create a vaccine distribution plan. His plan also calls for encouraging all states require face masks.

While it's likely the results of the election by the end of Nov. 3, due to record early voting numbers, it appears Harris will continue to argue the case for a Biden presidency and urge voters to get to the polls before they close.