Why Leave Our Opinion at Home? The Importance of Voting in Elections

America has freedom beyond what other countries can even imagine. We live in a democracy, we have rights that can't be infringed upon, and yet we still have the lowest voting percentage of just about any country. Less than 45% of citizens actually vote even though the majority of people always seem to have a political opinion. Everyone around me complains about the presidency or the Supreme Court or the local government, yet we don't take the time to vote. I hear excuses from every realm of BS you can imagine: "it's inconvenient", "my vote doesn't count", and the worst of all "I don't really care". This apathy is what's hurting our freedom. Yes, it is true that freedoms cannot be taken away by someone in office, but when we give them away they are already lost.

The importance of voting cannot be understated. U.S. citizens are asked to vote with more frequency than in other countries and even the entire structure of our government is based on citizens voting for representation, yet we still wont vote. We need to voice our opinion, no matter how "inconvenient" it might be. The country needs to hear our shout and our beliefs, and they need to see that we care. I have heard so many times that the older generation is afraid of the future because we are the leaders of tomorrow, let's quell that fear. The first step is voting. Registered voters ages 18-26 have the lowest voting percentage in the country, and yet we are the ones that should care the most. How will abortion reform help 78 year old Margaret? Or education reform for 65 year old Herb? It won't, yet they still take a stance. Find something that you care about and make it happen, vote for it.

Every vote does count, on a national level but especially on a local level; a few votes can make a difference. We live in a republic where everyone's voice counts the same and we all have a say in policies. Take a stance and vote, show the world what you stand for and shape the country that gave you the opportunity and the choice. It is our duty to vote in the country because the founding fathers wanted to know what the citizens wanted and this is a country of many people. Voting is not only our right, but also our responsibility as citizens of the United States, but if for nothing else vote because you want to. The voting age was lowered to 18 because we could die in war but not vote, now let's take advantage of it. The candidates are not the same, the issues will not solve themselves, and the country will not get better on its own.

Whether the excuse is apathy or laziness, voting has become a privilege that far too many of us take for granted. The next time you neglect to vote, ask yourself how you would feel if you didn't have a choice - to elect a president, or choose a job, or decide how many children to have. There are many countries where a person does not have a choice, and I'm sure they would gladly change places with us for the fundamental privilege of voting.