Politics can be a stressful topic. Getting educated, registering to vote, and actually making it to the poles can seem like it’s not really worth it. It’s just one less vote, and you might think your vote doesn’t make a difference. You might think you don’t really have any power, so why bother?
One vote might seem small, but there are groups of people that are less likely to vote than others. Low-income women have one of the lowest voter turnout rates (30-40 percent), yet so many issues we vote on directly affect them. What if every low-income woman voted? What if everyone voted?
I recently read a survey on the 2008 Presidential Election. It was found that those who supported Bush were more likely to vote than those who did not. I don’t really care what you think of Bush, but imagine if all those people had voted? We know the 2008 race was an extremely close call. One vote might not have made a difference. But a few thousand votes could have possibly changed the outcome of the election.
Exercise your right to vote. When you vote, your voice is heard. You have the right to cast your vote for who you want to be your representative. Voting can be easy. Remember the suffragists who fought so long and so hard for our right to vote. You don’t feel educated on the candidates and issues? Get educated. Non-profits like Montana Women Vote make it their duty to educate unlikely voters. Get registered, and then access these crucial resources. Call your County Elections Office. Visit www.montanawomenvote.org, and check out their voter resource section. When you get educated, you have the ability to educate others. You might disagree with others on issues, but the important thing is that you exercise your right to have your voice heard.
Check out this site on how one vote can make a difference. http://www.ncra.org/Government/content.cfm?ItemNumber=9365 The one I find most shocking is that in 1923, one vote made Adolf Hitler leader of the Nazi Party. Does your vote count? You decide.