The 2016 election has been eventful, confusing, frustrating and even scary at times. There’s no shortage of campaign ads, live tweets of debates, news coverage, and of course, memes. Celebrities are choosing sides, YouTube stars are promoting voter registration, and there’s always that one friend you have that can’t stop talking about who they’ll be voting for in November.
As a college student, it’s largely assumed that you’re 18 or older, or at least you will be soon (looking at you, fall babies). The weird thing is, I’m not, and I won’t be in time for the election. So while everyone else is registering to vote at one of the countless tables that show up on campus, defending their candidate, or arguing with someone who’s on the opposite side, I’m just watching from the sidelines. I can live tweet as many debates as I want, and I can argue policies until I turn blue, but at the end of the day, I can’t vote in this election.
I have mixed feelings about it. A LOT of mixed feelings.
Sometimes, I’m frustrated that I’m the only person I know that isn’t able to vote. It feels like a rite of passage as a college student to vote alongside your peers in the first election you’re all eligible for. It’s almost like a team bonding activity. Not being old enough to vote is like being on the outside, and we all know that isn’t fun. Sometimes, I feel like people won’t take my stance on this election seriously, or just refuse to listen to my opinions, because it “doesn’t matter” if I can’t vote. Sometimes, people assume I just elected not to vote, and that gets mixed reactions too.
This election proves more than ever before that every voice and every vote matters, and I’m constantly frustrated that I can’t add to that. I don’t know about all of you, but I want the best candidate to help guide our country to success, rather than throw it down the toilet. I’ve heard countless people make uninformed claims about both candidates, and state that they’re simply going to vote for their party rather than the policies behind the representative. Those comments are the ones that frustrate me the most. Those are the comments that make me wish I could cast my ballot and hope for the best outcome. But I can’t.
There’s also a pending anxiousness I have about the results. I already know that if the “wrong” candidate is elected, I’ll resent the fact that I couldn’t vote even more. Every vote matters, and I know I wouldn’t be able to help thinking that maybe, maybe, if I had been able to vote, the results would’ve been different.
But, on the other hand, I’m also the kind of person that doesn’t like to make mistakes, and in politics, it’s very easy to believe that you’re making mistakes based on who you support. This election is so important that it’s almost relieving to not have to make a decision. There’s no vote wasted to indecisiveness, and there’s no guilt from people with opposing views telling me I voted for the wrong person. There’s no judgement. I just simply can’t, and that’s the only answer that’s good enough for some people.
All in all, there are some good, some bad, and some seriously frustrating parts about being surrounded by this election and being so close, but yet so far, from voting in it. I know this sounds a lot like I’m just complaining, but in this monumental election, it’s hard to just accept the fact that I don’t get to cast a vote that counts.
BUT, if you’re like me and can’t vote either, it doesn’t mean you can’t participate! You can still show your support, talk about your views, and stay informed with what’s going on in the election. Your ineligibility to vote doesn’t restrict you from being active with politics!
Ladies, if you can vote in this election, PLEASE VOTE. If you don’t want to do it for yourself, do it for all of us that wish they could, but can’t.