It seems like these midterm elections were a lot more talked about than in past years; or maybe it's just because I'm older and paying more attention to our country. Personally, I've always been taught that voting is a privilege, a right, and a responsibility. Sometimes, it may seem like our votes don't matter at all. However, if everyone feels this way, then we're hurting our country and our democracy by not casting in our opinions. Even if you think that your one, "small" vote isn't going to make a large change, please don't skip out on the polls. If you don't think you're educated enough to vote, hop on Google for a little bit and do your research. By doing your civic duty (plus, it only takes a few minutes out of your day), you can make big changes for our country.
Every vote counts
GiphyFor something that is such a big deal in our nation, voting is literally one of the EASIEST processes ever. Registering to vote doesn't take long at all, and casting your actual ballot is a piece of cake. The longest part is probably the amount of time it would take you to drive, or even walk to your polling location. A typical excuse I hear people say about why they aren't voting is that "it's just one vote" or "other people are voting, mine won't change anything". This is simply not true. There are PLENTY of other people with the same mindset as this. If everyone voted, it could change a lot of things in this country. Plus, the midterm elections were so close, and we're the one's who can sway those votes.
You might not care now, but you might care in a few years.
Voting Barack Obama GIF by Democratic National Convention - Find & Share on GIPHYGiphyI always say that, if you didn't vote and you had the opportunity to, you have absolutely no right to complain about who is in office. Sure, you may hate our president, your senator, or even your mayor. However, if you didn't make an effort to vote and make your opinions heard, why are you complaining? As college students, we get stuck in a "bubble", and I think we sometimes forget about the outside world. With these midterm elections, these are the people who are going to still be representing us when we're graduated and into the real world. Even if you don't think these people are affecting you now, think about your future.
Your vote can better the lives of future generations
GiphyWhile this may sound a little far-fetched, it's actually true. As generations continue to grow older and form their own opinions, we have the chance to change the country for the better. Obviously, as college Millennial's or Generation Z's, we have nobody from our generation giving us a representation. We have the SAME Baby-Boomer's continuously representing us, and they may not have the same views and opinions are our generation. However, there are people running who you may think represent your views best. Why not take the time to vote them in and change the future of this country? A lot of responsibility is put on us, and we don't even realize it.
This is the one time our voices can be heard together
GiphySorry if it's cheesy, but it's way too true. I've heard way too many people say that they want to see change or new people in office. When voting comes along, that's really the only time you have the chance to do so. Especially with the generations in college, our votes matter more than ever. Even though the midterms have already passed, we can't forget that we will be voting again in just a couple years, and it never becomes less important.
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