Almost every person in this country has gotten the same lecture from a teacher or very politically-minded relative that it is their civic duty to go out and vote. We all know that they’re right and we acknowledge the meaning, value, and history behind what that vote signifies but we still fail to participate in the electoral system. The most common reasons for this are usually that people don’t feel their vote counts for much, they don’t like any of the available candidates, or that they’ve gotten tired of the norms that have developed in American politics. The generic response to this behavior is that if you don’t vote you shouldn’t have the right to complain about what happens in government and, while this is somewhat true, voting is only half of what is involved in being an active citizen.
To address the first concern, most people who say that their vote doesn’t matter are probably referencing presidential elections. In this case, they are only half-correct. While the election is determined by which candidate wins the most electoral votes, the Electoral College determines how to allocate votes based on the distribution of votes within a state. Some states even divide up their votes among the candidates. For example, if a majority of your district votes for the Democratic candidate then the Electoral College is not going to distribute votes to the Republican or Independent candidates (excluding cases such as the states mentioned). The second flaw in this argument is that the Electoral College does not have a say in how local elections are determined. Local and state representatives, as well as Federal representatives, are all chosen by a direct vote from the American public. If one doesn’t agree with the policies being put in place or voted on by a particular politician, they have the direct power to vote them out of office. The second half of this is that even if the candidate you want doesn’t win, it is important for citizens to protest or raise their voice in dissent to policies. This puts pressure on their representatives so their concerns are addressed.
Another reality of the American political system is the surprising amount of power that state and local governments have in legislating and establishing policy. While Joe Smith may not have an entourage like John Boehner on Capitol Hill, he has more power over what goes on in your daily life than the Federal Government does. State representatives like Joe can vote to raise things like your property tax and eliminate (or create) state-funded programs. They also have the power to determine the state’s policy on social issues such as same-sex marriage. Recent examples of Americans being reminded of this power have been seen in Indiana’s controversial law on “religious freedoms” and New Hampshire’s decision to de-fund Planned Parenthood; measures that the Federal Government had no hand in.
The point I’m trying to get across in this piece is, quite plainly, that although the civics teacher talking points have grown to become some kind of cliché, they aren’t. If the information that they were giving you wasn’t worthwhile or important, then they probably wouldn’t have tried to drive it so far into your adolescent skull. Congress’ approval rating has dropped into the single digits, people have lost faith in their government, and yet voter turnout is at abysmal levels. While politicians need to take on their own fair share of the blame, the responsibility for allowing these people to continue on their path of ridiculousness lies with us as citizens. So even if you need to put some clothespins on to cast your ballot, do yourself a favor and vote.
