The Right to Vote

I’m always amazed when I meet American citizens who don’t vote. I agree with Alaina’s last sentence: The only wasted votes are those that are not cast. And I wish people realized that regardless of their criticisms of the system or the way in which it’s executed, it’s a privilege to get to vote and I think it’s better to show up, put your own name as a write-in than not voting at all. At least in that case, you’re exercising your right to vote.

I know that system in the US isn’t perfect. If nothing else, we learned that after the 2000 elections. But just because it’s not perfect and it’s not easy to fix, doesn’t mean one should give up on it. If you believe in the system strongly enough to get so mad, then go ahead and do something about it. Many people are. If you aren’t moved to do something, then at least go cast your vote. It takes about five minutes of time, depending what time of day you show up and the population around your location. As far as I am concerned, you can only whine about the current administration if you voted. If you didn’t bother to be a part of the system, you have no right to bitch. Voting is a way for you to vocalize your opinion, for you to put it on paper (or computer system if you live in San Diego) and have it be a part of history.

What do you actually achieve by not voting? I don’t even consider the arguments of people who tell me they’re busy. We’re all busy. This isn’t a weekly occurrence. That’s just an excuse. I am angrier at the people who don’t vote as a principle. What is the principle behind not voting? I really need someone to explain to me how they are affecting the system in a positive way by not voting because I truly don’t understand it.

As someone from a truly corrupted country that is struggling to become democratic it makes me sad to see how many people waste their rights in this country. And as someone who, hopefully, might get to vote on the presidential election for 2008, I am truly interested in the logic behind choosing not to vote.