The 2016 presidential election is coming up, and the nation’s getting ready! The debates are underway, coverage of the race is constantly on the news, and we recently-turned-18 college students are registering for the first time. However, not everyone’s in tune with the voting craze; a worryingly low number of citizens who are eligible to vote will actually do so. If you are thinking of sitting this election out, here are some reasons why you should get out there and vote!
It’s your future
To put it simply, no matter who wins the election, you will have to live with the results. So why take a back seat? By casting a vote for your favorite candidate, you are ensuring a higher chance that he or she will win. For four to eight years, the winner of this race will have plans to change the status quo of America. With your vote, you could help implement change and pave the way for a better future.
It’s your right
We in America have something that not everyone else has: the freedom to decide who runs our country. While those in more restricted countries spend all their lives fighting to be heard, we have the very same rights in the palms of our hands. We should take advantage of what we have rather than complain that we don’t like the system in place, when we can so easily change it. Don’t just sit back and watch the country shift before your eyes. Take a stand and make it what you want it to be!
You don’t have to be “into” politics
We have all heard the excuses, “I don’t really care,” or “I don’t like any of the candidates,” or even “I hate the whole political scene” as reasons not to vote. However, by not voting, you are not taking a stand against the political agenda, you are limiting its chances for getting any better. Even if you “don’t care” about politics, you definitely have opinions on the issues on the ballot. Voting for someone who shares the same views helps the chances of these issues being solved in a way that you agree with. And if you really dislike politics and the people involved in it, then this is your opportunity to do something about it! As a voting aged citizen of the U.S., you have the right to have your voice heard, and voting will do just that. Your choice for who will take over Office can change the political control of the country and turn it into something Americans, and you, will want to be involved in.
Your vote DOES matter
Many people feel that their vote is inconsequential, or that they will not make much of a difference either way. But that could not be more wrong. Every vote, every voice, every opinion has an impact on how our country is run. The changes that come from this particular election may not happen immediately, or seem too big at the moment, but you’re making your voice be heard can change the country for the better and make it suit the ideal that America could be.