As tomorrow, election day 2020, draws near, some people may still be deciding whether or not it is worth it to stand in a long line to vote. Does it really matter? Will my one vote really impact the outcome? While many might say, no…I am here to tell you, YES!
First off, not everyone had the right to vote in our past. And voter suppression still continues today. The ability to exercise your right, and exercise it freely, is a privilege that we cannot take for granted. So whether you are voting in person or dropping off your absentee ballot, know that you are doing it for those who never could and those who are still fighting to.
Additionally, the candidates running for your local offices depend on your vote to make changes in your immediate community. My friend and fellow A&H intern, Anna Groover, wisely tells us this in her most recent blog, The Vote: Pay Attention to All Levels of Your Ballot. These are changes that will affect education, taxes, housing, waste management, public spaces, etc.
And I know that the electoral college can be confusing. I remember learning about it in middle school, and again in high school, and still not understanding once I got to college. What you do need to know is that your vote for president is a vote towards your state’s electors—the people that will cast the electoral vote representing your state. While our individual vote does not go directly to the presidential candidate of choice, it does indeed make a difference in the outcome. Remember that many small ripples can make a strong wave. The popular vote has influenced and can influence the electoral vote.
It may look like just a piece of paper with bubbles to fill in, but it is actually a vehicle for action: your power and voice in the unfolding of history. Your vote matters.
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