I wish that I didn’t have to write about this, but, unfortunately, it seems like fewer people are going out to vote in today’s elections. In the 2012 Presidential election, only about 55 percent of the eligible voting population actually cast a vote. Even less showed up for the 2014 midterm elections, with only about a 42 percent voter turnout. People wonder why nothing seems to get done in government and this could very well be a reason why. If you want to see a change take place in our government, then you can’t sit back and hope that someone else will do it for you. You have to take that first step yourself by voting for the candidates with whom you share common beliefs. Some people believe that there is no reason to vote because it’s only one vote out of millions, but when you add up all the votes that people aren’t using, it can make a big difference. People have to realize that we are all one part of a whole. When one part doesn’t function properly, the whole can fall apart. We need every person to perform their civic duty and vote in order for our democracy to live up to its potential. When only half of the voting population votes, we are not fully exercising our democratic rights. In order for our democracy to function as it was designed, everyone needs to participate, which means that everyone needs to vote. When people don’t vote, voices are being left unheard and democracy is all about making sure that everyone is heard and that their needs are addressed. If you don’t vote, then you should not complain because you decided not to be heard. In order for our country to reach its full potential, everyone needs to perform their civic duty.

It is our civic duty as members of a free nation to vote and no one should take this privilege for granted. Men and women are risking their lives so that we might have this freedom. Overseas, many are fighting and many are dying because they want the freedom to have a voice in politics. It is hard for us to remember that we didn’t always have this freedom because it happened long before we were born. However, America wasn’t always the free nation that it is and our predecessors fought and sacrificed for American citizens to have the right to vote. In the beginning, only white males had the privilege, but then the Women’s Movement and Civil Rights Movement allowed for the inclusion of everyone over the age of 18 to vote. How do we repay these people who fought for us? A majority of citizens don’t show up to vote. This needs to change.

With the Presidential election fast approaching, it is about time that people become informed. Watch the debates, read the news, do some research, and learn about each of the candidates and where they stand on the issues. Find out which candidates best match your ideals and support them. Vote in the upcoming elections and tell those around you to vote. Help those people become informed and let them know about the different policies that candidates have or lead them to the research that will help them become up to date on the candidates. Don’t just push your candidate down their throat, make sure that they know about all of the candidates and let them come to an informed decision on their own. We want everyone to vote, but we don’t want them to vote blindly. In order for our democracy to function as it should, everyone needs to vote and everyone needs to vote as an informed voter. People say that voting is a right, but, in reality, it is a privilege. Voting is something that not everyone has access to, so we must not take it for granted. So, I implore you all to become informed and vote and, for you fellow college students, make sure that you fill out an absentee ballot so that you may use your new-found knowledge and cast your vote. For many of our generation, this is the first time when we can use our voice and make a difference and I know that I won't let it go to waste. I hope that none of you do so as well.