In the United States you have the right to abstain from voting on election day, and that's not necessarily a bad thing. As democratic governments vary in their roles and structure, they also vary on issues of suffrage. There are democratic societies that require their citizens to vote and enforce that requirement (e.g. Australia), as well as those that don't enforce the requirement (e.g. Mexico). I understand the rationale for this; however, I think that, in our case, it would serve to cheapen the process.
While I don't believe that voting should be compulsory, I do believe it should be strongly encouraged. Requiring people to vote in itself does nothing to ensure that they are better informed, and thus, it does nothing to improve the integrity of the system.
On the other hand, we all have ancestors that were denied the right to vote at some point or another. Many of them were immigrants or minorities. Most of them were women. Their memory and legacy is what drives me.
Of course, there are many reasons that people in our society give for not voting. Some cite their disillusionment with the two-party system or the electoral college as their raison d'etre for abstention. The argument is, in the case of the former, that there are no good choices and/or that money and interest groups taint elections. In the case of the latter, it is argued that because a certain state is virtually guaranteed to elect candidates from one party or the other--given its demographics and a winner-take-all system--their vote will not make a difference. While both arguments in and of themselves are true, they largely miss the point. We have the option of voting for third-party or write-in candidates, and while those candidates may or may not have a chance of winning, a certain percentage of votes can give them greater access in the future. Furthermore, no election has been (or ever will be) decided by a single person. The chance of anyone, anywhere casting the decisive vote is just short of impossible. That's not why we vote. Suffrage is a privilege and a right that is much bigger than any individual, and for many it is a solemn duty.
Coming from a community of immigrants, my grandfather understood that the right to vote was a privilege not afforded to all societies at all times in history. He understood that those before him suffered oppression and that this glorious right is, in large part, why they took on hardships to come to this country. For the final months of his life he was very sick and could barely walk. Yet, when election day came and I finished casting my vote, I saw him enter the polling station with the help of my uncle and a walker. That moment was transformative for me. I felt an overwhelming pride and admiration for him. If anyone had ever had an excuse to stay home on election day, it was he. But at that moment, when I looked him in the eye, I realized what it meant to him, and it has had a lasting impact on me. I'd like to say that I voted in every election since then; however, that is sadly not the case. I have cited the arguments--nay--excuses stated above for this failure. I realize now that I was wrong.
To those who will not vote, it is your right to make that decision, and I will stand against any movement that would aim to deny you that choice. However, you should be aware of one thing: Choosing not to vote is an act of protest that is doomed to go both unacknowledged and unrewarded. There are better ways to change the system, and none of them involve non-participation. It is fine to identify our processes as flawed. They most certainly are. Nevertheless, on this election day, I am asking you to go to the ballot box. I am asking you to think of the woman, a certain Susan Brownell Anthony, who, in 1872, brazenly walked into her polling place, cast her ballot and was soon after arrested and fined for doing so. I am asking you to think of an octogenarian lumbering forth with a mobility assistance device--one with a flag-emblazoned sticker that triumphantly reads "I voted!" I am asking you to treat this act not as merely a right nor as an obligation, but as a duty; because changing a system requires doing more not less, and because it is part of the legacy--born out of great strife--that is our inheritance as citizens.
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