Quit Telling Me To Vote
Start writing a post
Politics

Quit Telling Me To Vote

An undecided college student's rant

20
Quit Telling Me To Vote
The Good Neighborhood

I'm finally of voting age and lucky me, the presidential candidates I get to pick between for my first election are bigot Donald Trump and liar Hillary Clinton!

I'm 19 years old, not old enough to legally have a drink but apparently old enough to decide who should run our nation. As a college student, I'm told all the time that it's perfectly acceptable not to have your mind made up. I guess that only applies to choosing a field of study and other major life decisions that aren't voting related because when I tell people I don't want to vote, not only do they become angry, they tell me, like a reflex, that I'm not exercising my right as an American.

I'm not a supporter of Trump or Clinton for numerous reasons that I won't go into detail about here. In this situation, most people suggest something like, "Well, just vote for Hillary if you really don't want Trump to be president." I am not going to vote for one candidate just to have one more vote against the other because frankly, I don't want either of them in The White House and I don't see how compromising my beliefs to pick the "lesser of two evils" solves anything for me. Another thing I am told to do is just vote for my party. Well, I, and a lot of college students, are registered as Independent. And if we choose to vote Third Party for someone like Gary Johnson or Jill Stein, our votes wouldn't even count because those candidates have less than 10 percent of the vote.

Now I know President isn't the box to be marked on Election Day, even though it's arguably the most important. To be honest, I know very little about other national elections because all the media chooses to cover is the presidential campaigns. And let's be honest, unless I'm a college student who's really into politics, I'm only going to know about the the things that have been put in front of me on the internet. As far as local elections, I go to school in a different state than my home state and don't know enough about my new state to make informed decisions.

As far as I'm concerned, not voting is the best decision I can make for myself. And by making an informed decision not to vote, I am still exercising my right as an American.

Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
the beatles
Wikipedia Commons

For as long as I can remember, I have been listening to The Beatles. Every year, my mom would appropriately blast “Birthday” on anyone’s birthday. I knew all of the words to “Back In The U.S.S.R” by the time I was 5 (Even though I had no idea what or where the U.S.S.R was). I grew up with John, Paul, George, and Ringo instead Justin, JC, Joey, Chris and Lance (I had to google N*SYNC to remember their names). The highlight of my short life was Paul McCartney in concert twice. I’m not someone to “fangirl” but those days I fangirled hard. The music of The Beatles has gotten me through everything. Their songs have brought me more joy, peace, and comfort. I can listen to them in any situation and find what I need. Here are the best lyrics from The Beatles for every and any occasion.

Keep Reading...Show less
Being Invisible The Best Super Power

The best superpower ever? Being invisible of course. Imagine just being able to go from seen to unseen on a dime. Who wouldn't want to have the opportunity to be invisible? Superman and Batman have nothing on being invisible with their superhero abilities. Here are some things that you could do while being invisible, because being invisible can benefit your social life too.

Keep Reading...Show less
Featured

19 Lessons I'll Never Forget from Growing Up In a Small Town

There have been many lessons learned.

70978
houses under green sky
Photo by Alev Takil on Unsplash

Small towns certainly have their pros and cons. Many people who grow up in small towns find themselves counting the days until they get to escape their roots and plant new ones in bigger, "better" places. And that's fine. I'd be lying if I said I hadn't thought those same thoughts before too. We all have, but they say it's important to remember where you came from. When I think about where I come from, I can't help having an overwhelming feeling of gratitude for my roots. Being from a small town has taught me so many important lessons that I will carry with me for the rest of my life.

Keep Reading...Show less
​a woman sitting at a table having a coffee
nappy.co

I can't say "thank you" enough to express how grateful I am for you coming into my life. You have made such a huge impact on my life. I would not be the person I am today without you and I know that you will keep inspiring me to become an even better version of myself.

Keep Reading...Show less
Student Life

Waitlisted for a College Class? Here's What to Do!

Dealing with the inevitable realities of college life.

132540
college students waiting in a long line in the hallway
StableDiffusion

Course registration at college can be a big hassle and is almost never talked about. Classes you want to take fill up before you get a chance to register. You might change your mind about a class you want to take and must struggle to find another class to fit in the same time period. You also have to make sure no classes clash by time. Like I said, it's a big hassle.

This semester, I was waitlisted for two classes. Most people in this situation, especially first years, freak out because they don't know what to do. Here is what you should do when this happens.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments