Why Vote?

Bottom line: it's the only way to be counted.

I could discuss civic responsibility and this country's painful history of disenfranchisement. I could go on about how voting gives you a say in where and how your roads are built, or how the quality of schools and curriculum is directly related to who you elect to school boards and city council. I could even discuss how the original United States Constitution never explicitly stated who could vote, only how the country would vote, and even today, "the how" is precarious because people who are eligible to vote do not vote. Until it's too late, as the removal of early voting from the Memorial Student Center demonstrates.

Instead, I'll say a few words about why not voting is still voting. Your vote does not only matter if your candidate is elected. Votes serve as proxies for eligible voters to express their legislative wishes and desires for their community. Votes represent people, and not voting means that person does not count, which is exactly what the opposing side wants. A voter's views on public policy do not change simply because their candidate did not win; on the other hand, not voting means that a voter who does not share your views on public policy is heard, and their voice will always be louder than yours.

I understand voters' apathy toward politics and politicians, particularly when it appears that nothing we say or want in terms of policy matters. That, however, is the entire point of voting. Voting is about more than the outcome; it's about showing up because you have a right to be heard. That is why, for me, Vote Your Voice is more than just a campaign slogan. Every vote, to me, is a person, and every person is a constituent. But I can only hear those who speak, and voting is your voice. I hope to hear from you on November 8th, election day.

Wanda J. Watson

Candidate for County Commissioner PCT 4