“One vote won’t make a difference.”
“I don’t know enough to vote.”
“I don’t care about voting.”
Unfortunately, these are all phrases I’ve heard from some of my friends and my significant other. I was heartbroken because they didn’t understand something so crucial about this period in history. Now, more than ever, our votes matter. That is not philosophical, it’s not wishful thinking, and it’s not a delusion. That’s the truth.
To those who say “one vote won’t make a difference,” I say that in reality, it does. In elections all across the country, candidates are within five points of one another, so your personal vote actually has an effect. Many of the races this year are incredibly close and have no clear winner, such as the senate race in Texas between Ted Cruz and Beto O’Rourke. In these cases, a collection of singular votes will decide the winner.
Historically, college-aged people have been the least likely to vote, and that has resulted in a government does not accurately represent the distribution of values among young people. To combat this, make your voice heard by casting your vote, no matter what party or belief system you adhere to! That way you know, that no matter who wins, you contributed to the important decision of who gets to represent you in your government.
To those who say “I don’t know enough to vote,” I say that you can easily fix that. You can do a quick internet search of the candidates in your state and district. You can ask your friends and family who they support and why to determine who best embodies what you want to see in government. There are also great online resources to get information about the things on your ballot, such as www.ballotready.org which give you “every candidate and referendum, explained.”
It really does not take long to understand the views of the candidates you will be choosing between, and most have personal websites that you can use to find their views on the specific issues that matter to you. Getting educated can take as little as a couple of minutes with the help of the internet, so we can all feel confident and informed at the polls!
To those who say “I don’t care about voting,” I say that, well, you should. The right to vote is something that none of us should be taking for granted. Although it seems a little annoying to register to vote and then go to the polls on Election Day or fill out an absentee ballot, I assure you it is less annoying than being deprived of a voice in government, like so many other countries across the globe. You, your mom, your dad, your grandpa, your grandma, your cousins, your siblings, and I all have the ability to elect the people who make decisions that affect us all, and that is truly a blessing.
Please head to the polls on Tuesday, November 6th, or send in your absentee ballot! You have the right to decide who makes your laws and governs your nation, so don’t squander it. Happy voting!
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