No Excuses for Not Voting (10/28/04)
by Dean Hartwell
Will you vote in this election?
About half of those eligible will not, despite predictions of a better turnout this time than four years ago. Millions of people will forgo their opportunity to voice their opinion about what the government should do.
Why?
Excuses abound, but tend to fall into general categories. Here are those tired excuses and what you, the voter, can say to the non-voter when you hear them:
Yes, it does. The last presidential election was officially decided by 537 votes out of almost six million counted in Florida. John F. Kennedy defeated Richard Nixon by less than one vote per precinct in 1960. If everyone decided not to vote, there would be no election and no chance for the public to participate in governing.
Even if that were true, it’s still no excuse. All of the candidates offer different visions for our future and each offers something to voters. You may wind up voting for the “lesser of two evils” but you can still identify differences among the candidates.
Voting at the polls typically takes a few minutes. If there is a large turnout, it may be a while longer. Regardless, the policies that the elected officials make, on, for example, health care, the environment and energy, could affect you for a lot longer than that.
I don’t have any way to get to the polls.
You can call your local political party and ask them to provide you a ride to your voting place. Few people know about this option, but almost every local club organizes rides. Take advantage of it.
I hate politics. All of the negative campaigning turns me off.
Then vote against the candidates whom you think are the worst offenders. Refusing to vote won’t stop anyone from campaigning negatively.
Those who don’t vote forfeit their right to make a difference. But, more than that, they help the politicians they claim to disdain. After all, a lesser number of voters gives politicians fewer voters to be accountable to.
P.S. If you do vote and run into any trouble at your polling place (like not being allowed to vote), call (866) OUR-VOTE. For more information, see http://concatenation.blogspot.com.