Why do we vote? We vote to express an opinion. That opinion is our voice for our future. When we vote, whether it is in a student, state, or presidential election, our vote determines our destiny. Depending on whom we vote for, our ballot might decide the next Spring Fling band, what construction project is started on your street, or which country we invade. A vote lets an individual cry out and stand up for what she believes in. Casting a ballot also lends a certain mandate to the government because the public is appointing those who will rule them.
And yet, many people do not vote. They do not see the importance of choosing their government. When they do not vote, they are depriving themselves of an opinion, a voice, and the benefits of citizenship in our participatory government; they are rejecting their say in the future. At that point, why bother living in a democracy? The bottom line is this: if you are taking the time to read this article, you have the means and time to procure an absentee ballot or get yourself to a voting booth to fill in a bubble. Don't waste that opportunity.
Non-voters offer many excuses for their behavior, or lack thereof. For one, many people believe that elections do not affect them. Why should we care who wins the presidency, they ask? Our everyday routine will remain the same, regardless of the victor. But there are those certain things that the presidential election could change in our lives. If we continue our extensive international military operations, the draft might be reinstated and the legitimate possibility of you, your brother, or your best friend being shipped to military service looms in our future. There are hundreds of other relevant issues as well, many that relate to us collectively as students. For example, presidential candidates usually differ on the amount of the national budget that is allocated towards higher education scholarships.
While some non-voters recognize the relevance of political issues, they still deny the significance of their single, individual vote. One person is only one person, right? Just say that to one of the nearly 30,000 who were disenfranchised in Florida during the 2000 presidential election. The difference that year was a mere 537 ballots. And amazingly, almost all of the 30,000, who were barred from voting for some reason, were minorities who traditionally vote Democratic. Their vote mattered. In local races, elections are sometimes decided by 20 votes or less. Your vote could be the deciding factor between a candidate who would want to push the Boston curfew from 2 a.m. to 3 a.m. or a candidate who would increase the number of police to patrol certain areas like parts of Somerville where Tufts students happen to live. These issues affect you and casting your vote is the method by which you assert your opinion. If you do not vote, you have no right to complain about future changes since you neglected to voice your opinion in the election
Still more non-voters avoid casting a ballot simply as a matter of convenience. To take a subway ride to a polling location and wait in line for a significant length of time is just too much trouble, non-voters explain. We college students are too busy to spare any time; many cannot be bothered to vote as they are too focused on their work and studies. We have papers to finish, internship and graduate school admissions forms to complete, hockey games to play, and the weekly Must See TV party with our hallmates to attend. Unfortunately, this excuse stands on shaky ground at best - mailing in an envelope with an absentee ballot takes only a second. You can print the form from your own printer off of www.fvap.gov and then drop the envelope in a mailbox on your way to class. Another motivation to go vote, besides exercising one's voice about the future of our country, ought to be the urge to disprove our country's accusations of youthful apathy. The general consensus is that our generation of MTV watchers and internet fiends does not care about America's political climate. Politicians do not aim for our demographic's vote since we do not go to the polls in a large proportion. The problem with this is that many political issues do impact the lives of higher education students, but in order for our opinions to play any role in the political arena, we must vote for who the main participants in the arena are. Issues like a woman's right to choose, whether homosexual marriage will be allowed, whether discrimination will be written into our Constitution, or if internet sharing will become completely illegal are concerns that are pertinent to our generation and yet we fail to stand up and be heard. How can we ask for our views to be represented in our government if we do not take advantage of our main venue for voicing our opinions - the voting booth?
Politics might not be the most interesting thing to you all the time, but they sure are important. And our system is not perfect - but we must start on the road to improvement somewhere, and piping up with votes is a good place. Your vote is an expression of your opinion. It is your idea of how you want the future of our country to run. It is also your responsibility to your country to participate. Many have died for the right to vote and in many places today, people do not have a voice or a say in their government. We do. We should be taking advantage of it. If you are not registered, get registered. If you are away from home, get an absentee ballot. And if you care at all about what happens, go vote!
Annie Ross is a sophomore who has not yet declared a major
