by Catherine Ritchie

Created on: April 20, 2008

Why Vote?

A good friend recently surprised me by announcing that she had stopped voting in national elections. Curious, I looked into the statistics for the last election in 2004, and learned that nationwide as many as 16 million registered voters chose not to vote. Another 32 million did not even register. My state, Minnesota, tends to lead the nation as far as percentage of voters, around 80%, but nationwide it is around 60%.

Why not vote? The largest reason given is "not interested / not involved" in the election process. Like my friend, 11% of registered voters, and 4% of non-registered citizens said the reason they do not vote is that they do not believe that their vote counts. Just those two groups alone total 3 million people.

So why vote? Putting it simply, democracy cannot work without her people being involved and informed. We are the fulcrum upon which the structure of our government rests. If the base of support is not there, the system will weaken and fall.

Why do I vote? I vote because over 100 years ago there were groups of determined women and men who defied convention and actively campaigned for the right of women to vote. They were ostracized, publicly spat upon, jailed, even disowned by their families. But they believed in what they were doing, and because of their decades-long efforts, I have the right to vote, as do my daughters and granddaughters. I vote to honor those brave people.

I vote to honor America, my country. There are many things in America's past that I am proud of, and many that I am ashamed of. But it is my country. It is not infallible, it is not perfect, but it represents all that can work, that can be good.

I vote to honor the courage of people in other countries where there is no guaranteed right to vote, especially for women; where people often face hardships, or death, trying to do what we take for granted: vote.

I vote to honor my grandparents and parents. They voted whenever they could. They saw voting as a privilege, even an obligation of citizenry.

I vote to honor myself my choices, my concerns. Will my candidates always win? No. That is part of the process. But not to vote casts away my option to participate.

The United States Constitution begins: "We the people of the United States, in order to form a more perfect union"

Abraham Lincoln, in his Gettysburg address of 1863 put it more eloquently: "That government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth."

I recently worked as an election judge for the first time. At each polling station we are required by law to have even numbers of Democrats and Republicans present as election judges. Together we validate ballots, ensure the proper set up of the polling station, verify and/or register those voting, and make sure everything is proper and accounted for at the end of the night. This is done with a sense of camaraderie, not competition. Regardless of our party affiliation, we are determined to work together to ensure the accuracy of the vote, of the people's vote. Progress, not politicking. It was a long day, but I left there with a great feeling. This is how government should work.

Whether you vote or not is your choice. But if you want your voice to be heard, however small you may think it is, you need to use it.

Sources:
U.S. Census Bureau
International IDEA

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