Our View – Ballot vox: Your vote is your voice

When the land of the free was founded in 1776, only white, protestant, property-owning men could make decisions concerning the freedoms of all with their vote. Throughout the 19th century, all white men, not just protestant property owners, were given the right to vote, while poll taxes effectively stripped that right from minorities. White women were allowed to vote in 1920, and finally, in 1964, this right to vote expanded to everyone—sort of.

This terribly tragic information shows how much unnecessary suffering women and minorities had to face in order to gain the right to vote. Frankly, your apathy is no excuse. Civil right leaders are rolling in their graves. Look, this a democracy. Your right to vote should be as cherished as your right to open carry your AR-15 in line at McDonalds. It is a national right.

Over the last three decades, the polls have been disproportionately led by the wills of the one percent. Juxtapose this with the widening participation gap between the young and old, with apathy increasing among the youth. Just think of how different the world would be if everyone participated.

If your community has poor voting attendance, elected officials pay less attention to your neighborhood, thus decreasing the political weight your own voice has. Whoever votes has a powerful impact on public policy. Whoever doesn’t vote isn’t heard at all.

Even though the current political system is disheartening, it is the only route one can take toward change. Progress takes dedicated, deliberate action over time.

The system of government we have is, for better or worse, what we are stuck with until enough people go out to change it. Sometimes the system is made to be frightening, and makes you feel small—enough so that you don’t try to change it.

Until enough people go out to vote, we will all continue to be disheartened by the way our government is working. The government needs you to go cast a vote, and tell the country what you want.

We understand this sad truth: our government is set up so that we are stuck with two parties. There are thousands of people who would rather support the green party or the independent party, but they won’t vote for that party’s candidate because they feel like it’s a loss. And it’s true: voting for a candidate outside of the main two parties is like throwing away your ballot.

We understand the disillusionment that comes with voting. The slight feeling that we aren’t given much of a choice, and that you are stuck between the candidates that party bosses pick for us. Regardless, in the face of all of these challenges, every vote you and your peers don’t cast, your political opponents are casting.

Casting a vote is the one guaranteed record of voicing your opinion (I’m sorry, but those politically driven reblogs on Tumblr don’t count). It also gives the unique right to moan about politics, to proudly proclaim in defiance: “I didn’t vote for ‘em!”