Why you should vote

Being complacent about voting isn’t cool or democratic

The American society, especially our generation, has become so complacent about the political process, and I am pissed about it. I’m done with people using “I don’t even care about politics” as their excuse not to be informed.

This election is unique to say the least, but the odds of finding a candidate who aligns with your morals are much better if you’re actually informed and care about casting a ballot.

I know some of us involved in politics are our own breed. We talk about politics like we helped write the Declaration of Independence, but I’d rather be like this than not know anything about the people representing me.

You need to care about the election. You need to go and cast a ballot. You need to stay informed about the people who are representing you. I could write a ten page thesis paper on this, but I’ll be straight to the point.

We have the right to vote, something many people don’t have

If you missed this cool fact in history class, we live in a democracy. We have the right to vote for the people who are going to represent us, while other countries are being ruled by dictators or violent military forces.

We don’t want to wait in a line after work to cast a ballot while there are people who are dying for the same right. As an American citizen, you’re blessed with a lot of rights many people don’t have. If you want to continue to enjoy these rights, you need to stay informed about the people who are representing you.

Ladies, we’re better than this

Women have fought for the right to vote since well before 1920, and you’re not going to exercise your right? Think about all the amazing women who were shamed and cast off, just to give women of the future the right to vote and they aren’t going to use it.

Donald Trump’s followers tweeting #Repealthe19thAmendment made me sick to my stomach. Women were actually tweeting they would give up their right to vote to put this guy in office. Are you kidding? We’re not equivalent to men now with wage gaps and issues of sexism. Let’s take away some of our rights on top of it all. If you’re going to find the motivation to vote, think about all the powerful and confident women who gave you this right.

Heroes have died to make us free, so support them

On the topic of war, everyone has a different opinion. Do we go in or do we stay out? Either way, I think everyone can agree we want to make sure our troops are supported by the government. Guess what? You get a say.

Politicians have many different views on war and troop support. Some encourage diplomatic solutions in the hopes to prevent war, while others encourage strong military forces. Regardless of your opinion, it’s important you vote to give the government a consensus of what people want. Your voice has power.

BONUS: you’ll get mad respect for any picture you post with an “I Voted” sticker

‘My vote doesn’t mean anything’ is bullshit

Our country uses the system of an electoral college, which is why some people think their vote doesn’t count. Each state has a designated number of electoral votes. Based on a popular vote, the designated number of electoral votes are given to whatever candidate ‘wins’ the states. 270 votes wins the election. This system isn’t liked by many, but guess how we change it? Your vote.

Sure, the odds of the presidential election coming close enough for one vote to make or break it are slim to none. However, what if everyone thought that? There would be no one to carry out the ‘dirty’ work of voting and we probably wouldn’t live in a democracy for much longer.

Your vote matters. Your voice matters. The people in government are working for you, make sure they hear your voice and know your opinions.

If you didn’t vote, don’t complain about politics

At the end of the day, it’s your right to vote. No one is going to force you to vote, because we live in the ‘Land of the Free’ where as long as you’re obeying the Constitution, you’re good. However, two months down the line, don’t complain about the politics you didn’t participate in.

The First Amendment Freedom of Speech you’re using is being upheld by people in this country who are participating in the democratic process. You complaining about politics is like complaining about not winning the lottery after you didn’t buy a damn ticket.

I would rather you vote for all the positions opposing mine and be informed than have you sit back and be complacent.  I’ve said this many times: politicians are representatives of the people. If you didn’t vote, you don’t get to complain about not being represented. Government and laws affect all of us, not just those who actually pay attention.

I refuse to be part of the generation that sits back and watches other people pick representatives for me. We’re talented, diverse, intelligent, courageous people, and we need to be heard. Voting is the way we can finally do that.

Your vote matters. Your voice matters. You are important to the melting-pot this democratic country has become. You officially have a date on November 8th. Happy voting!

@Emily_Saliby

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University of Wisconsin