With the upcoming 2016 presidential election looming before us, I have heard many opinions on the candidates, parties, issues that have been discussed, and the political system in general. However, I would like to speak about one portion of the political process in particular: voting. I know several people who either don’t know how to vote or believe that their vote has no impact on the political process, and I would like to make a few things clear.
Registering
Registering to vote is extremely easy. When you turn 18, you are eligible to update your driver’s license and register to vote at the same time. All you have to do is check a box while applying for your license, and you will receive your voter registration card in the mail. If you haven’t updated your license yet or have already done so, you can register at https://registertovote.org/.
The Presidential Primaries
The Primaries are a key piece of the presidential election, but voter turnout tends to be low for these. Primaries decide which candidate runs for each party, so if you support a particular candidate strongly, you should vote for them in the primary election in order to make sure that they are able to run.
Voting in the primaries takes a bit of extra research, because each state has a different date on which the primaries are held, and some states only allow you to participate in the Democratic or Republican primary if you are registered as a member of that party.
You can see whether your state has open or closed primaries here: https://grassrootsidgop.wordpress.com/list-of-states-with-open-and-closed-primaries/
You can check the date of your state primary here:
http://www.uspresidentialelectionnews.com/2016-presidential-primary-schedule-calendar/
Obtaining an Absentee Ballot
If you are attending a school outside of your city, you can obtain an absentee ballot in order to vote. You have to send in an application to the County Board of Elections, and they will send you a paper ballot in the mail to fill out. Once you have filled out the ballot, you send it back in to cast your vote.
Your Vote Matters
It’s rather frustrating to see peers that don’t vote due to a matter of principle or a lack of interest in the political process. To those of you who are 18, the presidential candidate that gets elected in 2016 will be in office until you are in your early twenties, and the issues that the candidates are discussing will directly affect your life soon, if not now.
People who think that their vote doesn’t count in the grand scheme of the election don’t realize that millions of other people think the same way. According to bipartisanpolicy.org, voter turnout for the presidential election in 2012 was 57.5%. If the other 42.5% of Americans voted, the tide of an election might be turned completely.
Voting is an essential part of the democratic process, and everyone’s vote matters. If you have an interest in the future of your country, please stay informed, do your research, and vote.
Additional Resources:
2016 Presidential Quiz: https://www.isidewith.com/elections/2016-presidential-quiz
Differences between Democrat and Republican: http://www.diffen.com/difference/Democrat_vs_Republican
Capitalism, Communism, and Socialism: https://www.webpages.uidaho.edu/engl_258/Lecture%20Notes/capitalism%20etc%20defined.htm
