Disclaimer: This is an opinion piece.
I distinctly remember the feeling in the air leading up to the 2016 election. In my small hometown in Indiana, people sported MAGA hats and “Lock Her Up” t-shirts through the hallways of my high school. People I had viewed as friends and intelligent peers all vied for the candidate who I found least equipped for the presidency.
During an assembly, my school held a mini election. Only 2% of our school population “voted” for Hillary Clinton.
I remember thinking if Democrats in my area were losing the popular vote, then how would my vote count in an official election where the rules of the electoral college came into play? I concluded that my Democratic vote in a predominantly Republican state, ultimately, didn’t matter.
Since then, I have felt that we live in a democracy that doesn’t allow singular voices to be heard in elections. It became increasingly clear to me that the United States government was highly susceptible to corruption and functioned on a basis of political mind games.
I wanted the election process to change, but I didn’t know what to do. How could someone protest a system while still actively taking part in it? The only answer I could think of was to stop taking part.
Countless eligible voters harbor the same feelings I did about America’s election system. Whether you choose to vote red or blue, perhaps you too feel that your voice doesn’t matter. When the signs in your neighborhood, the conversations you are having with friends, and the attitudes of your town don’t align with your personal beliefs, it’s reasonable to feel hopeless and as that your voice has little to no value in that setting.
Flash forward to the events of 2020. To speak less generally, what I am referring to is the American response to COVID-19, the forward momentum of the Black Lives Matter movement and the very visible effects of climate change in the western half of our country. Through all of these diverse issues, the tune sung by all activists was: “do your part.”
I struggled to understand what my part was. I wore my mask everywhere, I consumed Black Lives Matter media and attempted a “re-education of self” surrounding race, and often try to use single-use plastic only, so why was I still feeling confused and inadequate?
I’ve come to realize that the reason I am left with these upsetting sentiments is our government’s current state. The media surrounding our government’s protocols on climate change, COVID, or BLM is ever-changing and disheartening. If we want solid and sustainable change, we need solid and sustainable steps towards making that change.
Over the last eight years, our country has seen division begging comparisons to that of the Civil War era. Voting red or voting blue now means so much more to people than just politics. To some, it is the qualifying factor of friendships and relationships, the determination of a “good person”, or the beginning of a lengthy and circular debate.
In 2016, Hillary Clinton won the popular vote but lost the election. Had more voters shown up, we may have lived in a very different America for the past four years. Before going to the polls this year, voters should take into consideration the ways in which their voices will be heard, and the steps they would like to see taken. If social and environmental movements have shown us anything over the past year, it’s that the power of the individual is stronger than ever. You can have as many conversations or donate to as many organizations as you want, but that must be only the beginning of the action you take.
The first step in protesting the system is fully understanding the system. Once we understand the ways in which our government works, we can act to take advantage of it. Voting is our only power and, coincidentally, voting is our politicians’ only weakness.
Working to do your part involves putting personal reservations aside in order to do what is important and right for a given cause. So, if you were thinking of skipping the polls this year, consider your part in all of this. Consider the roles of your neighbors and friends. What steps towards change will you take? I suggest you start with casting a vote.
