It’s Spring Break, but it’s also close to the start of the Presidential Preference Primary election. If you haven’t voted early already, the official election day for Florida is on Tuesday, March 17th. You can cast your vote by mail or in person at the polls. The purpose of the election itself is to nominate candidates for the two major political parties. The primary is done in preparation for the General Presidential Election, in which one candidate will be voted in as president. On the primary ballot, you’ll express your preference for the candidate you would like to represent the party you’re registered with. More info about the process can be found here.
Besides knowing the fact that voting is your constitutional right, it may help to hear some other, more ~convincing~ reasons why you should get out and cast your vote.
Even today, not all women have the right to vote.
Women in Vatican City, Rome cannot vote at all. This tiny Roman Catholic state only grants voting rights to cardinals, a position that women are forbidden to assume. Men are also prevented from voting if they aren’t cardinals.
In Saudi Arabia, progressive attempts have been taken to give women their due rights. This includes them being given the right to drive in 2018. However, strong societal norms still exist and ultimately control what women can and cannot do without male permission or guidance, including voting. The hashtag #IAmMyOwnGuardian is a slogan that some Saudi women have embraced to end the sexist treatment they face.
In Pakistan and Afghanistan, women are required to seek male permission if they want to participate in voting. If they do make it to the polls to vote, they are often harassed and chastised by community members who would rather them not participate in the process.
When we compare the voting rights women have here in America to the ones that women in other regions have, it becomes clear why we should be grateful and enthusiastic about even being able to participate in the voting process.
We owe it to the women who fought for us.
Historical suffragettes like Susan B. Anthony dedicated their lives to ensure that women gained the right to vote. Susan B. Anthony went through many trials and tribulations to make this happen, including being arrested and fined. She spent her life gathering thousands of signatures on petitions and giving public speeches on women’s right to vote. She died 14 years before women were given the right to vote with the passage of the amendment in 1920.
Emily W. Davison was also a prominent suffragette who was imprisoned for her efforts. She rebelled against her imprisonment by refusing to eat and refusing force-feeding. In an apparent act of defiance, she ran out in front of a King’s horse during a derby and died.
Our preceding suffragettes obviously fought a long and arduous battle for the obtainment of women’s right to vote, being that the battle lasted decades and included many deaths, imprisonments and life dedications. I think it’s important that we make sure their efforts to give us the right to vote never go down in vain.
It’s the ultimate act of feminism.
Feminism is defined as: “the advocacy of women’s rights on the basis of equality of the sexes”. By exercising your right to vote as a woman, you’re upholding and embracing the idea that women can and will participate in all facets of society that men do. Working to vote candidates into office that uphold our ideals and rights as women is so, so important and we must work towards retaining our rights as well as fighting for more. Exercise your girl power and vote!
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