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Former 'Idol' star Clay Aiken on why you should 'show up' on Election Day

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Why it Matters: Clay Aiken on what's driving him to vote
ABC News
ByGMA Team
November 06, 2018, 9:05 AM

This election season, "Good Morning America" asked Americans to tell us "Why It Matters." We wanted to know what issues are inspiring people to head to the polls and participate in the democratic process for this year's midterms.

American entertainer and political advocate Clay Aiken said America is divided and people need to pay attention to their entire ballot on Election Day.

"You gotta vote all the way down the ballot and make sure you know what's going on," Aiken told "Good Morning America."

The issue: A country divided

"I would argue when people tell me all the time that they hate how much partisanship is in politics nowadays and how divided we are as a country, to me tangibly I think gerrymandering is a big problem that we've got to address in this country," Aiken said.

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The former "American Idol" finalist, who ran as a Democrat for Congress in 2014 for a seat in North Carolina's 2nd Congressional District, said it's important to pay attention to every race.

"The folks who are most relatable and the folks who are just like you and wanna make a difference and wanna see something better than what we have, are oftentimes running for those state house and state senate races, those city councils, those county commissions," Aiken said.

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'Gerrymandering is a big problem that we've got to address'

Aiken is encouraging people to vote this election.

"You really gotta not just vote for the folks at the top of the ballot," Aiken said. "You gotta show up, you gotta support them, because a lot of them do believe in the same things you do believe in."

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