Voting Is A Group Project--Carry Your Weight

Nothing gets me more irritated than when I hear pollsters talk about "likely voters." I'm not mad at the pollsters themselves but at the unlikely voters. 

The US Census Bureau recently reported that low income people, minorities and renters are significantly less likely to vote than their white, wealthy, home-owning counterparts.    The vast majority of people under the age of thirty never vote at all.

Why would entire groups of people willingly submit their authority to other groups? Why would they silence themselves?  When we fail to cast a ballot it's like we're making ourselves invisible. We're choosing to be subservient rather than leaders.  The politicians will always gear their attention to the needs and desires of those who cast ballots.  Why do so many people effectively tell the individuals who run this country not give them any consideration?  I know that getting to the polls can be hard but it's a right that women, minorities and yes the youth (the voting age in this country used to be 21) have fought and sacrificed for.  Women and minorities who were fighting for the right to vote were literally tortured and many were killed. When you choose not to vote you are not only dishonoring the memory of their struggles but you're making the reward our parents, grandparents and ancestors fought for less significant.   

But of course voting in and of itself isn't enough. If you ARE going to vote, vote smart.  I know this really bothers some of my liberal friends but although I'm a Democrat I don't always vote for the Democratic candidates and this year (as in others) I will be voting "yes" on a couple of propositions that the state Democrats have campaigned against.  No one should vote for something or someone just because someone called them up and told them they should.  Read the propositions. Take ten minutes to Google the voting record/positions of the candidates on the ballot.  There are some very conservative Democrats who have frequently voted with the Republicans who will be voted out of office today by Republican voters simply because the candidates have a D by their names.  On the flip side many of those same conservative Democratic politicians were voted into office by Democrats who disagree with the candidates on almost every issue simply because those voters they really liked that D.   Voting for or against a candidate because of a letter of the alphabet doesn't make a lot of sense. Nor does it make sense to vote someone out just because they're an incumbent, particularly if they've been championing issues that are important to you.  Voting shouldn't be like those multiple-choice tests where you cross your fingers for luck and then randomly pick a circle to fill in because you didn't bother to study.  This is more like a group project. If someone in the group doesn't do their homework the whole group fails.  And of course in this case the "group" is our entire society.  

Regardless of the state, the polls will be open long enough to accommodate the after-work crowd (click here to find out where your polling place is and how long it's open). Use 10-15 minutes of your lunch break to do your voting homework.  And then vote. 

Vote so you won't be invisible. And vote smart so you don't screw with the rest of us.

For California voters check out the nonpartisan group, Center For Government Studies (CGS), website and check out their "Voter minutes." They're two minute videos that describe each one of the propositions, outline the possible pros and cons of the initiative (but the information will be factual rather than skewed as in all the partisan TV ads) and they'll tell you what groups/businesses are supporting/opposing what.  

Kyra Davis

Bestselling Author of:

The Sophie Katz Mystery Series 

and

So Much For My Happy Ending

Order Vows, Vendettas & A Little Black Dress today!