Friday speaking at the by the University of Illinois, former President Barack Obama argued American democracy depended on voting in the 2018 midterm elections because of “recent headlines.”

Obama said, “I’m here to deliver a simple message, and that is that you need to vote, because our democracy depends on it. Now, some of you may think I’m exaggerating when I say this November’s elections are more important than any I can remember in my lifetime, and I know politicians say that all the time. I was guilty of saying it a few times, particularly when I was on the ballot, but just a glance at recent headlines should tell you that this moment really is different. The stakes really are higher. The consequences of any of us sitting on the sidelines are more dire.”

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