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Politics and Activism

To Those Who Didn't Vote

I know the system is flawed but you still could have made a difference

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To Those Who Didn't Vote
Huffington Post

Regardless of our political opinions and affiliations, I think we can all agree that this election cycle has been one of the worst we've seen in a really long time. No matter the outcome, there were always going to be people that were upset. I know I was upset. Honestly, I'm still upset. But, I have earned the right to be upset, because I voted. I voted for the candidate that I truly believed could have made a great president. And while Hillary's loss was a huge hit and I'm disappointed and frustrated, I think there is one thing that is making me even angrier than I already am.

Voter apathy.

Look, I get that some feel like voting is a lost cause or that their vote wouldn't make a difference either way. I agree that we have a flawed system and that the electoral college causes more frustration than not. That being said, purposefully sitting out on voting just to prove a point is not a viable protest. It does not make you edgy or progressive. It makes you an a** hole.

Especially if you get upset at the outcome of the election. If you purposefully did not vote out of misguided protest, you cannot get upset. You cannot yell about how flawed the system is when you yourself did nothing to fix it. You could have made a difference and you chose not to. So don't start crying about the outcome when you refused to fulfill your civic duty.

Another thing that really frustrates me is when people write in their own candidate. On one hand, I'm glad you at least when out and cast a vote. However, that does not mean you should throw away your vote. It's one thing to write in a third party candidate like Jill Stein or Gary Johnson. But when 15,000 people write in "Harambe" as their chosen candidate, then we've got a major problem.

Again, I get it. The system is flawed and this election was ugly. But don't you dare pitch a fit when you did nothing to stop it. I may not agree with Trump or those who support him, but at least they went out and voted.

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This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
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