top of page
Annabel Ross

Your Vote, Your Voice


The 2022 Midterm elections take place on November 8th, 2022. (Photo Courtesy of dvidshub.net)

















Election day is here, and it is that time again to get out and vote. Do not let anyone get in your way of voting, and these are five reasons why it is important for you to vote in the election.


1. Whoever you elect to office will decide and affect your future.


Your elected official has the power to make decisions for the entire country, which includes you. Think about the issues that could or already affect you: climate change, gun violence, healthcare, and civil rights. You cannot solve all those issues on your own because you do not have the power to do so. Your leader has that power, and whoever gets elected and will address those conflicts that you have or care about.


2. You only get to vote every couple of years, depending on the governmental role.


Photo Courtesy of ppic.org

In the United States, the presidential election is every four years, the senate election is every six years, and the House of Representatives election is every two years. If someone elected to office makes a decision you disagree with or badly affects you, you cannot kick them out of office whenever you want to. Instead, you must wait until they are defeated by an opposing candidate in their next election, which will not be for several years depending on their position. Whether your elected official is defeated or not depends on if you vote.


3. Even just one vote makes a huge difference no matter the type of election.



Photo Courtesy of chathamlib.com

















In the 2021 gubernatorial race in New Jersey, Phil Murphy won by less than one percent. If even just a handful of people chosen to sit out of the elections and not vote, Murphy’s opponent would have won. This concludes that the more votes, the more your preferred is likely to win the election, no matter what political party they align themselves with.


4. Voting gives you the power against a political candidate you disagree with.


Politicians hold their power in office until their next election a few years later. However, when it comes to voting, this is the only time you can overpower a political candidate if you disagree with their policies. That is because if you vote them out, they have no choice but to leave office to their successors, no matter how much they want to remain in power.


5. Voting is a way to stand up for what you believe in and express your opinions.


If you have issues you care about or know will affect you, voting allows you to express them. When you go to the polls, in a way, you are admitting that you have an issue that has an impact on you and are going to vote to make sure that what you want to see change in the future, becomes a reality. Voting is standing up for yourself and for what you strongly believe in.


Voting is a constitutional right given to American citizens who are at least eighteen years of age. So, if you are eighteen or older, get out there and vote! If you are not registered to vote, register to vote! Encourage anyone you know who is unlikely to vote to do so as well. Your vote is your power and your voice. Let your voice be heard!




30 views0 comments

Comments


bottom of page