To be honest, I think there is no excuse for people to not vote in this election. A couple of weeks ago, a friend told me they were not going to vote because they don’t like either candidate and it actually made me enraged. Maybe you don’t like either of the major party candidates (which I don’t understand, because there seems to be one option that is completely terrible), but when the election is over and you start to disagree with policies and the representation of our country by the new president, I hope you don’t regret your decision.
I know a lot of people are not happy with their options in this presidential election, but that should not stop you from exercising your right to vote. There must be at least one issue that you are passionate about that would lead you to choose one candidate over the other. I find it hard to believe that so many people don’t have an opinion between the candidates that are running.
So much in our country could be changed if people became less apathetic and more involved in political avenues that can incite change. Maybe some of you are thinking “The president doesn’t actually do much to influence my daily life,” and maybe you are right. But I would like to remind you that local elections are also taking place, and I encourage you to vote in those. Do some research and take a stand for what you believe in. Voting is not hard, you just have to get informed and do it.
I get even more enraged when women say they don’t plan to vote in this election. Women did not always have this right and we should not waste it. There are so many issues surrounding women’s rights, such as abortion, equal pay and sexual harassment, that will be affected by this election. We need to use our right to vote to elect officials who we see representing us and supporting our causes. Women can have a huge influence in policy if we take a stance. In the 2012 election women made up 53 percent of voters, and I hope that percentage remains high in the future.
I’m not going to tell you to vote one way or the other, that is not my purpose in writing this. My purpose is this: if you have the privilege of being an American citizen and having the right to vote, use that right. So many people do not get the opportunity to choose the direction they want their nation to go in, and we should not shrug off the importance of this opportunity. I would encourage everyone to see it as their responsibility to vote, not just their right.