At this point you are probably thankful that this madness of an election is coming to an end. Before you decide to opt out of casting your ballot this Election Day…reconsider.
Some of your ancestors didn’t have the right to vote.
The 15th Amendment was passed to grant African American men the right to vote in the late 1800s but in many cases would have to overcome the difficulties of taxes and literacy tests that other voters wouldn’t need to take.
The majority of African Americans were not able to successfully register to vote until the Voting Rights Act of 1965 was passed. That’s only 51 years ago.
Women couldn’t vote until the 19th amendment in 1920. There are women who are still alive and were born before that amendment was even passed. These women may be your great-great grandmothers. Your great-great-great grandmothers.
A few generations ago, they may have fought for the right to be able to vote. They raised their voices and stood up in their community and the world at large to take a swing at voter inequality.
This is my desperate cry to society: VOTE.
You shouldn’t choose whether or not to get up out of bed and cast your ballot when your ancestors didn’t even have the option. They didn’t have that choice. Make the time this Election Day unless you chose to vote early.
"One, you find out where and when you can vote early. Two, you figure out how to get there. Three, you get out there and get your voice heard. It's incredibly important. Millions of people are doing it," President Obama said.
If you care about the country: vote. That’s all you can do. If you have a strong passion for a candidate you can participate in phone banks and knock on doors. But at this point, it’s too late.
It’s Election Day and if you are 18 and over, go out to the polls. These candidates may be flawed but that doesn't mean you can opt out of what may be the next eight years of our country. You live here–you should care.
No matter if the system is “rigged” or if you think your vote “doesn’t matter”. Think of your vote as a puzzle piece, one that will ultimately be fit into a much larger puzzle. You are a part of the change. We live in a democracy. It’s our right to be able to vote and you should be proud to be a part of it.
