To the Millennial Americans Considering Casting a Vote:
This past January, I went to the Bernie Rally in Boston--one of the many that was taking place across the country. We yelled chants about “Feeling the Bern” and waved signs about increasing the minimum wage and creating tuition free community colleges. Several people also gave speeches. In one of her attempts to rally people together, one of the speakers stated that she would only vote in the final elections if (and only if) Bernie Sanders became the Democrat Presidential Candidate.
Some of this may come from the dread that Sanders might not win the Democratic Nomination, but hearing this statement bothered me for a couple of reasons. One being that, as a Democrat, I felt in a way that non-Republicans who don’t vote in the final election will just be giving their vote to the Republican Candidate. If I were a Republican, I’d possibly still feel similarly about Republican voters not casting their ballots. This is likely due to a similar reason that made me feel uneasy about the speaker’s comment. Over and over again, I have been told to vote because “my vote matters,” and that not voting in the primaries or the final election, is the equivalent of saying “No, my vote DOESN’T matter,” or “I don’t care.”
I know that we’ve all been hearing this phrase numerous times the past few months. Sometimes, more of an explanation is given. Sometimes it's not. Either way, it’s a phrase that’s thrown at everyone in America every three to four years, when the presidential elections come around. But why does your vote matter? Do our votes ACTUALLY matter? What does it even mean?
Essentially, the primaries are based on delegates—each state gets a certain number of delegates, and whichever candidate gets the most votes will win more delegates. So at this point in the election, winning is strongly based on numbers. Ultimately, by showing up to the polls, voters will give a better advantage to who ever they vote for. Therefore, by voting, everyone will actually have a say in our healthcare, education, and other policies without actually running for a political position. So yes, your vote does matter. Ultimately, if you support a candidate's position on health care, or you find them to be the lesser of two evils, you should vote to give them those voter numbers and to voice your opinions.
Not every candidate is perfect—some are less so than others. And honestly, the amount of time we listen to these people debate could decrease a lot. (Though that deserves a whole other story with a list of areas where the US Government could step up it’s game.) However, the point of Democracy is to give everyone in the country somewhat of a voice—though the way that the constitution was set up, this happened at different times for a number of groups, especially in terms of voting. These days, it seems that too many people come up with excuses for not voting, or just don’t show up to the polls, even after rallying exclusively behind a candidate. To put it bluntly, I disagree with these people’s actions and many adults are pointing to Millennials as the “uncaring” or “lazy” people who don’t show up to vote. So I have a favor to ask of you Millennials: let’s prove them wrong. With our numbers, we could change a lot just by showing up to the polls.
With Super Tuesday several days behind us, I would like to say to those who have yet to vote: please vote. Why? Because your vote DOES matter in the elections. And to those who voted in Super Tuesday or participated in previous primaries and caucuses: thank you for participating—I hope you continue to participate in the final elections and other future elections.
So whether you are a registered Democrat, Republican, or with another party, please, please, please get out there and vote. If not for the future of America, do it for the people who were unable to vote in the past and do it for yourself, so your voice is heard. Seriously--your vote is still going to matter.
Sincerely,
A fellow Millennial
P.S.: If you are unable to make it to the polls in your state, consider getting an absentee ballot ahead of time to send in your vote. If you are unregistered, make sure you still have time to do so beforehand or can register with your party of choice on voting day.
