In the 2008 election, more than four in 10 Americans did not vote. And though voting is especially important for millennials, many Americans— especially college students—do not vote because of the registration process.
Many Americans approach the presidential election wearing blinders as they tend to forget that they are voting for the issues they want resolved and the policies they care about. The election is not just about Trump or Clinton. It is about the policies that each candidate stands behind; it is about the policies that you, as a voter, care about. And since voting is the input citizens give in regard to public policy, there is no better way to express ideas you stand for than voting. It is the way through which you can contribute to the outcome of these issues.
The result of the election solidifies and determines the country’s fate for the next four years. And so, voting is especially important for college students, who will join the workforce in the short future and deal with issues like minimum wage, fair pay, and the work environment. For this reason, it is extremely important that college students’ help determine the nation’s next leader by exercising their right to vote.
If you aren’t voting for the the sole reason that you dislike both of the major party candidates, consider voting for a third party candidate. Voting third party is better than not voting at all. It allows you to still exercise the right to vote, just without feeling obliged to vote for a candidate whose beliefs you do not support.
Bear in mind that in many countries citizens do not have the right to impact political leadership. Even within our own country, women did not have the right to vote until just less than a century ago. And so, for us Americans to not exercise this right is to throw away the power we have been given as citizens. Americans need to exercise their right to vote and broadcast their voice.
Voting is a way to make your voice heard in the complex system of American politics. Voting is not only a representation of your opinion but also an expression of opinion in the decisions that will occur over the next four years. Without exercising the right to vote, we are leaving the future of our country completely in the hands of others; we will therefore have no say in the policies and decisions that America’s future leader makes. November 8th is election day, get out and exercise your right to vote!