It’s November! That means it is one of the most important months. For starters, it’s my birthday month! (I’m accepting birthday donations via Venmo, so please hit me up!) November also denotes the beginning of the Christmas season, Thanksgiving, Veteran’s Day, and more importantly than anything else, Election Day.
If you’re on the Internet at all, and I know you are because you’re reading this, you’ve probably seen a million ads over the past couple of weeks about voting and different political candidates. What I have to say is probably going to get drowned out by the millions of other people with similar messages, but it’s important, so I’m going to say it anyway.
At this point, we all have political views. It’s impossible to exist in the world we live in and not have an opinion. At any given point in time, there is something in the news cycle that will either make you incredibly happy, or angry beyond belief. Your best chance to influence the decisions that lead you to feel those emotions is this coming Tuesday, November 6th. Election Day.
Perhaps my bias towards the importance of voting goes back nearly 21 years ago when I was born on Election Day. Unfortunately, my parents missed their chance to vote that year, but it’s led me to where I am today. As I’m writing this, I know that my vote will be counted this year. I went out of my way to apply for my absentee ballot and mail it in weeks ago. When I read the news, I’m angry. I don’t like the direction things are headed in. I want change, so I voted.
Maybe you don’t feel the same way. Maybe you LOVE the way things in our government are headed. It’s just as important for you to vote as it is for me.
The government, in an ideal world, is supposed to be an accurate representation of the population and what they believe in. Many people will argue that their vote doesn’t count or their vote doesn’t matter, but it’s that exact idea that changes the path of politics. Young people in America wildly outnumber their older counterparts in the population, but the older population has higher attendance than us at the polls every year.
Our voices can and will change America. We just have to use them.
What I’m asking is this: If you are 18 or older, a citizen of the United States, and registered to vote, you exercise your right and cast a vote on November 6th.
I don’t care if you’re voting for change or to keep America on the path on which it’s currently set. Your vote matters, your vote counts, and your vote is important.