‘I hope for the best,’ says this first-time Mexican American voter

The World
Mexican-American singer Lila Downs is voting in her first election

Eight days! Yes, the United States will elect a new president in eight days. 

Already, more than 22 million Americans have cast early ballots. For many of them, this is their first election, including for singer Lila Downs. She is Mexican American with roots in both Minnesota and the southern Mexican state of Oaxaca, her birthplace.

She cast an absentee ballot from her home in Mexico.

This election year also prompted Downs, already known for her political and socially-engaged tunes, to write a new protest song. As you will hear, it's clear who Lila Downs does not want for president:

oembed://https%3A//www.youtube.com/watch%3Fv%3DIK4GpQmugEs

It also may surprise some of her fans that this is the first election Downs has voted in. She's been eligible to vote before.

"I guess that I never really had faith in the system and [have been] kind of rebellious all my life," she says. "I am taking it more serious this time. Thinking about it in the bigger picture as a social movement and as an expression of our movements all over the world. And like schools of fish, we turn that way and we turn the other way depending on what is convenient for us."

Do you support journalism that strengthens our democracy?

At The World, we believe strongly that human-centered journalism is at the heart of an informed public and a strong democracy. We see democracy and journalism as two sides of the same coin. If you care about one, it is imperative to care about the other.

Every day, our nonprofit newsroom seeks to inform and empower listeners and hold the powerful accountable. Neither would be possible without the support of listeners like you. If you believe in our work, will you give today? We need your help now more than ever!