VOTING: A RIGHT AND A RESPONSIBILITY
Do you have any plans for the Tuesday following the first Monday of November? Nov. 6 is the date—the culmination of one of the biggest races in our nation. And if you are 18 years or older and a citizen of this country, you are cordially invited to attend.
If you’re still confused, I am not talking about a race at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, but rather, the presidential race: November 6 is Election Day. For many current college students, this will be the first presidential election in which they are eligible to vote. Many of us likely have voted in local and state elections, but never before have we been able to claim the voting milestone of casting our ballot for a presidential candidate.
I would argue that this “cordial” invitation to vote, to participate in what makes our democracy a democracy, is not so cordial in reality. In fact, we should see it as more of an obligation or responsibility of a citizen. If you are a voting-age citizen, you owe it to yourself and others to make sure you are represented in this nation’s government through your vote.
But enough of my incessant imploring. You don’t have to listen to me, because the shocking numbers speak much louder than my words. In the last presidential election, in 2008, only 63.6 percent of voting-age citizens voted. I repeat, 63.6 percent.
I’m not even going to bother with doing the math to figure out how many American citizens that is, citizens who essentially do not have a voice because they didn’t cast a vote. That would be an even more depressing statistic. But can you imagine what the voice of the other 36.4 percent could say in an election, especially one as important as the election that determines the presidency of this nation?
Our country functions as a representative democracy, but if only 64 percent of eligible citizens vote, exactly who do our nation’s elected leaders represent? Yes, 64 percent does constitute a majority, but given the fact that the margin of victory in many elections is often incredibly small, an extra handful of voters—by a handful, I mean a few percentage points—could completely change the election results. If more citizens voted, the face of majority rule could undoubtedly change.
Then again, who are these nonvoters? Perhaps they are apathetic. To be honest, I don’t think anyone wants politically apathetic individuals voting just for the sake of voting, treating the polls like guesswork on a multiple choice test. But I find it hard to stomach that 36 percent of all Americans are just that apathetic. Many of us are fiesty, and when things don’t go our way, we strike, protest and make our opinions known in any way that will attract the attention of the media or government. The message of the story is that we do have opinions, and more of us should be voting.
If you currently are not registered to vote, you should do so soon. Many states’ deadlines are quickly approaching. According to the Indiana Secretary of State website, the last day to register to vote for the 2012 general election is Oct. 9. Prospective voters can register online, in-person or via mail.
If you are from out-of-state or out-of-town, you have the option of voting absentee. The state of Indiana allows registered voters to vote absentee-in-person beginning Oct. 9, which is done at the county clerk’s office. The deadline by which absentee-by-mail applications much be received is Oct. 12.
Voters wishing to vote absentee-by-mail must meet one of nine possible requirements, one of which states, “You have a specific, reasonable expectation that you will be absent from the county on Election Day during the entire 12 hours that the polls are open (6 a.m. until 6 p.m.).”
Having a day’s worth of college classes at the University of Indianapolis would likely qualify for most voters, depending on one’s home county. If Marion County is not your home county, you have the choice of making the trip to your home country on Election Day or voting absentee, either in-person or via mail. The government has made it easy for you to exercise your right to vote.
So vote if you wish to have a voice in our nation’s future. If you don’t vote, though, please consider yourself an invisible and voiceless citizen, because that is what you have made yourself. And don’t even think about complaining about the politicians who gain power and the legislation they enact. Exercise your right to vote, or revoke your right to complain.
