With Election Day this week, politicians are doing all they can to get as many votes as possible. Some are hosting rallies while others are touring their districts. On Saturday, United States Representative for Massachusetts Joe Kennedy III toured the 4th Congressional District of Massachusetts. He went to Swansea, Freetown and Lakeville, Dighton and Rehoboth, Taunton, and Somerset and Berkley.

I had the privilege of meeting Rep. Kennedy when he stopped by the high school on Saturday. He was there to meet with people about current issues and Election Day. The event was held from 12:00 p.m. until 1:00 p.m. in the high school library. While I expected many people to attend, there were only about seven who stayed for the entire time. He was willing to meet with individuals, and I was able to talk to him alone.

To start off our conversation, I asked him what his plan was regarding gun control. He told me that Massachusetts already has some of the strictest gun laws in the country. The state already has laws banning bump stocks, high capacity magazines, and assault rifles. Since there’s not much the state can do to tighten up gun laws, Joe Kennedy plans on continuing to talk about this at a national level. He wants to try to convince the other members of Congress to pass laws that make it so that every state has universal background checks, bans assault rifles, and bans bump stocks and high capacity magazines so that people can be safer. Regardless of what happens at the federal level, Massachusetts will continue moving forward to stop gun violence.

I then asked him about what his environmental plan is. He described how Congress can pass laws that punish and fine polluters, and how a national gas tax can be passed to encourage people to purchase vehicles that are more environmentally friendly. He is also planning on pushing that conversation at a federal level, and that no matter what happens in Congress, Massachusetts will continue moving forward with renewable energy sources and helping the environment. During our discussion, Rep. Kennedy didn’t talk down to me. He spoke to me as if I were his equal, which is a quality not all politicians possess.

After our conversation, he spoke to everyone in a group. He encouraged people to ask questions and had a conversation with us. He described how Democrats are favored to win back the House of Representatives this election, and how early voting numbers are already high. He went on to explain how every vote matters and one vote can make all the difference because a couple of years ago in Virginia, a politician won the race because of one vote. One vote can make all the difference come Election Day, so get out and vote in this election and every election after.