Every day, I see the same people in their vote T-shirts asking each and every single person if they are registered to vote. I totally understand that they want more young people to vote in November, but I would just like to get to class with no distractions. For instance, the other day I was asked if I was registered for early voting. I said yes because I am, but the man asking me did not stop asking me questions. I tried to continue on with my day, but he eventually got in front of me. I said no thank you to almost every question he asked.

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I AM REGISTERED TO VOTE. I will vote in November, so please stop asking. I see them almost every single day, they should know who I am by now.

The U.S. trails most developed countries in voter turnout. In Belgium, almost 100% of registered voters turned out in the last election. In the States, only 55% of registered voters voted in the 2016 election. Why is that? In Belgium, for example, voting is compulsory. That means that if you do not vote in an election, you can be punished with a fine. Voting in the U.S. is voluntary, you can vote whether you want to or not. In countries where compulsory voting is enforced, there is more turnout for elections. Take the Netherlands for example, turnout in 2013 was 71%, in 2017, that number rose to 77.3%. In countries such as Greece and Slovenia, where the laws are not enforced, voter turnout dropped drastically, by double-digits.

The U.S. has many problems when it comes to voting. Maybe someday soon, compulsory voting will become the norm. Your one main duty as a U.S. citizen is to participate in the democratic process. So, as much as you may not want to hear it, VOTE! Choose who you think will run our country the best way.

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