The other day, I was eavesdropping on a conversation between two students in the dining hall, and I overheard one of them say: “I have millions of reasons why I’m not going to vote.”
Wow he has MILLIONS of reasons.
I strongly believe it is a person’s civic duty to vote. However, I do understand that with the right to vote comes a right not to vote. In celebration of Americans who choose not to vote, I offer 20 totally Legitimate--and not at all sarcastic-- Reasons Not to Vote:1) You are an active member of a secret society that abstains from voting
2) Your dog ate your absentee ballot
3) You climbed to the top of a tree because your best friend dared you and now you can't get down
we've all been there.
4) It's laundry day
The only thing you have to wear is a halloween costume from 2008.
5) You have been living in a stranger's shed for the past five years without their knowledge
You cannot divulge your location JUST to vote. Besides, you are too uninformed about the candidates; there is no television or radio in the shed.
6) You think you are a cat
Cats are not part of the democratic process.
7) Because you think you are a cat, you can only meow to communicate.
8) You were planning on voting for Donald Trump.
Honestly, the best reason not to vote.
9) You're on the line at the DMV
leaving is not an option.
10) You have a casserole in the oven
11) You've decided now is the perfect time to take up basket weaving
12) You have to call your grandma
let's be honest, that could take days.
13) You're waiting for your Tamagotchi to hatch
You can't look away!!!
14) You are occupied watching paint dry
15) You're halfway through War and Peace
and you have big plans to translate it into Sanskrit when you're done.
16) You are creating your own font for Microsoft
Goal: to be more obscure than wingdings
17) You truly believe Ted Cruz is the Zodiac Killer
I mean, the resemblance is uncanny.
16) You think all the candidates are actually lizard people
17) Transgressing the boundaries of space and time has made it impossible for you to even register
18) You have to register by Arbor Day and are too busy celebrating
19) You're busy betting on turtle races
20) You don't understand that choosing to not vote, is still a political decision.
As millennials, we are the largest and most diverse generation. With that, we have the amazing potential to make a huge impact in the 2016 presidential election. As cliche as it sounds, we are the future of the nation and college is an optimal time to get involved in pointing the country in the direction we'd like it to go.
Unless you identify with one of the twenty reasons listed above, voting is one of your most fundamental duties as a citizen of the United States. Not participating in the political process, no matter what your excuse, means passively allowing others to make decisions that impact your life.
If you are not registered and want more information visit:
https://www.usvotefoundation.org/vote/state-electi...
Residents of Pennsylvania have until October 11, 2016 to register for the general election on November 1st and New Jersey residents must register by October 18th. New Jersey voters are still eligible to vote in the primary election if they register by May 17th.
