Vote--It's a Privilege

Why should you vote? 

1.    You could make the difference in who wins. In the 2000 presidential election, the final decision came down to 537 votes. Those 537 votes created a difference of just four electoral votes, and Republican George W. Bush claimed victory over Democrat Al Gore - despite winning the popular vote by 543,895 more votes. After a lengthy legal battle and historic recount of thousands of Florida ballots revealed Bush to be the winner by just 537 votes, Bush secured Florida's electors for the win and became the fourth president to have lost the popular vote. 

2.    Vote for Your Future. Your future will involve, you getting a job, owning or renting your own housing, paying for health care, getting married, or building a business. Access to birth control, health care, the ability to borrow money, and being hired without discrimination are things that this election will decide. Elected officials impact  the future of regulations regarding the environment, fossil fuels education, and the types of transportation available. The policies you vote for today will have a significant influence on your life. Do you really want to leave those decisions up to someone else? 

3.     You have power as a young person. Your vote has power over future policies and shapes the government. Youth energy is what drove the civil rights movement in the 1960s, protests of the Vietnam War, and every modern-day hot button issue. Your energy at the polls and in the streets can influence politics again. When you cast a vote for a politician that represents your interests, you impact the future of the U.S. government.

4.    People sacrificed and died so that you can vote. Initially, only men who owned land could vote.  No matter your race, gender, or age, your right to vote came at a price. Honor the sacrifices others made so that your voice could be heard when theirs wasn't.

5.    This country is not perfect, nor are the people running for office. Choose the candidates that best align with you. Life is full of compromises, and some turn out better than we expect.