You Have a Voice so Use it

George Jean Nathan said, “Bad officials are elected by good citizens who don’t vote.”

I like to think that I live in a country where people appreciate their right to vote and see it as a way to make voice their opinions and make change. I knew voting rates weren’t great, but was shocked to discover that the U.S. had the ninth-lowest voting rate among the 35 countries in the OECD (Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development.) It goes to show you how much we take it for granted. Here are some stats:

• In 1960, presidential election between John F. Kennedy and Richard Nixon, Kennedy won the race by 0.1 percent--the closest presidential election in U.S. history in terms of the popular vote and the electoral college votes. That’s scary close! That’s the kind of close where if the candidate you wanted to win…won, you’d be sweating thinking, “What if I hadn’t voted?!” And you’d be kicking yourself for 4 years if the candidate that you didn’t want to win did…while you stayed at home, ate pizza and watched it unfold on tv.

• Highest U.S. turnout for a presidential election since 1968? 2008–and 4 in 10 Americans stayed home!

• In 2012, only a little more than half the country voted–57.5% to be exact.

Many people have been frustrated and disheartened by some of the ugliness that they’ve witnessed during this election season. A feeling of disgust turns quickly to apathy and I’ve heard a few folks say, “What’s the point of voting at all?” People around the world are fighting for the right to vote. And actually, in the grand scheme of things, it wasn’t that long ago when women and African Americans were denied this privilege. Ladies, imagine what your great-grandmother would think if she knew that you’d decided not to vote this year. Don’t we tell our children that they can make a difference? What does it mean if we say that but don’t follow through with it in our own lives?

READ: What to Do About Election 2016 Anxiety

If you have a friend or a relative who has lived in a place where they could not vote, and have had a chance to hear their story and listen to what it means to live in our country, you begin to appreciate that voting is not only a privilege; it’s our duty. This is our government and our politics and with our freedom comes the responsibility to vote. And if you don’t participate in this process, stop complaining about the things you don’t like that are happening.

If you support a candidate or a policy but don’t bother voting, your voice isn’t heard. And remember, there’s more on the ballot than just presidential election.

October 14 is the last day to register in NY state for the November 8, 2016 General Election Deadlines. Applications must be postmarked no later than October 14th.