While the issues that are on the ballot in today’s vote may not be as sexy as war, abortion and the death penalty, the outcome of today’s election will have an impact on your life. The differences between my opponent and I run much deeper than the fact that he’s in his 40s and I’m 23. Our different approaches to city government will influence a wide range of things, including whether you get your security deposit back, the minimum wage, the environment, air pollution, the cost of rent and whether you can see a band in a bar if you’re under 21.

I am proud to have earned a reputation as a champion of affordable housing, both through my advocacy of inclusionary zoning and increased housing density in the downtown. Lowering rents and building more permanently affordable housing remains one of my top priorities, and I am thankful to have the endorsement of the Affordable Housing Action Alliance. Unfortunately, my opponent is opposed to the landmark affordable housing law we passed last year.

I have been one of the City Council’s most outspoken voices on behalf of tenants’ rights, both on the council floor and as a member of the Housing Committee. While my opponent routinely derides our tenants’ rights as “social engineering” and adopts the landlord lobby’s position on most issues, I will remain a strong supporter of protecting the rights we currently have from attack and expanding those rights by reforming security deposit procedures.

Together with a huge coalition of students and community members, I played a leadership role in raising the minimum wage for the first time in seven years. Today, thousands of hard-working low-income people are earning more money, and the most important part of our victory is that the minimum wage will become indexed to inflation so that its real value doesn’t go through another seven-year period of erosion. Disappointingly, my opponent thinks we should not have raised the minimum wage.

The city also deals frequently with alcohol regulation, and I have been one of the most outspoken advocates of sensible alcohol policy. I have successfully removed old liquor license conditions that banned drink specials, and I authored the ordinance that repealed the decades-old ban on dancing known as the Cabaret License. In the next term, I am sponsoring the Performing Arts Venue ordinance that will allow music lovers under the age of 21 to see live performances in taverns with wristbands.

This job isn’t all pleasantries, though. In my opponent’s literature, he blames me for an increase in rape, which is offensive beyond the pale. Anyone who knows me knows that I dedicated years of my life on campus to stemming the tide of sexual assaults through my work with and advocacy on behalf of PAVE (Promoting Awareness, Victim Empowerment). He also blames me for police busting parties and a conservative alder’s attempt to register kegs, even though I have been one of the most outspoken opponents of such counterproductive and offensive policies. He has also accused me of opposing drink specials, which the record clearly shows is the opposite of reality, and said that he will lower the drinking age, which is an insult to your intelligence since the city has nothing to do with the drinking age.

Even though I am the youngest member of the City Council by about a decade and despite the numerous obstacles this job can present, I have been able to achieve numerous victories for my constituents in just two years. The next two years hold even more promise for progressive change.

For more information, please visit my website at www.VoteAustinKing.org, and make sure to take the time to vote today. I know a lot of my supporters think that the election is in the bag because I got 79 percent of the vote in the primary, but it’s still important to show up and make your voice heard, and there are many other important races on the ballot that will be close. It only takes a minute, and it does affect your life.