Top 10 Reasons to Vote in the Primaries
March 11, 2016
- Because it’s your right: According to an article from Borgen Magazine, “Over half of the world lives in a democracy of some kind, but only 15% of all people live in a full democracy and nearly one third of the world lives under an authoritarian leader.” Consider that. There are so many people on earth who do not get to have any say whatsoever in their government, so it’s a pretty big deal that on March 1st you will get to go to the voting booth to choose the candidate who you think will do the best job of leading our country. Don’t take that for granted.
- Because your vote counts: One common misconception is that you, with a single vote, cannot make a difference. But that’s not true at all. Many recent elections, such as Bush vs. Gore and Kennedy vs. Nixon, have been extremely close, meaning that a small margin of votes made a huge difference. And keep in mind that Virginia is a swing state, meaning that the number of Democratic supporters and Republican supporters are pretty equal. So while other states, such as California and Texas, are routinely blue and red, respectively, states like Virginia can swing either way and have an enormous impact on the turnout of the election. So yes, your vote does count.
- Because the issues do affect you: One reason why there tends to be a lower voter turnout among millennials is because many of us do not believe that the issues being debated have that big of an impact on our lives. This, however, is also a misconception. For starters, one of the major issues in this election is lowering the price of college tuition, something that will inevitably affect many of us. But that’s just the beginning. Further examples of issues that affect students include education policies, women’s rights, the unemployment rate, and access to affordable health care.
- Because students have the lowest voter turnout rate: Adults already seem to have enough reasons to complain about us millennials, so let’s not give them reason to add “low voter turnout” to the list. But it is true. Americans ages 18-24 have by far the lowest voter turnout, and according to research, the problem seems to be getting worse – only about half of the eligible people in our age group voted in the most recent election. So let’s prove that we are in fact an involved generation, not solely limited to posting politically charged Facebook statuses.
- Because if you don’t vote, you automatically lose your complaining privileges: If a certain candidate (who you absolutely despise and wish would just drop out already) ends up becoming president, non-voters have absolutely no right to complain for the next four to eight years, because they did nothing to try and prevent it from happening.
- Because you’re an adult now: Vote as a way of celebrating the fact you’re now 18 (or almost 18 in the case of the primaries)! You’ve waited for so long, and who you vote for is a decision that you get to make completely independent of your parents and peers – plus it’s one of your first big steps into the adult world.
- Because many people fought to give you the right to vote: The obtainment of universal suffrage was an important part of American history, and if you waive your right to vote, then in a way you are choosing not to honor the work of the hundreds of thousands of people who fought for centuries to pass the amendments that brought about the voting rights we recognize today. Specifically, the 26th Amendment, passed in 1971, lowered the voting age from twenty one years of age to eighteen, after many student activists across the country protested that eighteen year olds being drafted into the Vietnam War were “old enough to fight, old enough to vote.”
- Because democracies can’t function without votes: Samuel Adams once said, “Let each citizen remember at the moment he is offering his vote that he is not making a present or a compliment to please an individual – or at least that he ought not so to do; but that he is executing one of the most solemn trusts in human society for which he is accountable to God and his country.” Similarly, Thomas Jefferson said, “Should things go wrong at any time, the people will set them to rights by the peaceable exercise of their elective rights.” America was founded on the basis of democracy, and one of the original reasons why we separated from England way back in 1776 was over the conflict of representation. So why let your Founding Fathers down by not voting?
- Because this is your chance to learn more about politics: If none of the other reasons have given you enough motivation to vote in the upcoming primary elections, then just do it for the sake of using this as an opportunity to get educated on politics. There are so many interesting people and ideas out there right now, as well as a million quizzes you can take to find out which candidate you’re most aligned with, so seize the day by watching a debate or visiting a local campaign office or just learning more about the stances of the different political parties. Keep in mind that it’s important that you make your voting decision based off of your own beliefs and values, and the best way to ensure that is by doing your own research.
- Because, well, you just should! Whether you already knew how important voting is, or have learned something from this list, then be sure to head over to the voting booths on Tuesday, March 1st!
