With the 2018 midterm coming up on Nov. 6, a reflection on the last American election is due.
Voter turnout in the 2016 presidential election was the lowest turnout since 1996, when 53.5 percent of eligible citizens voted. The highest turnout in awhile was 2008, with almost 64 percent participating, according to CNN.
These statistics are embarrassing.
That America, a country founded on the principles of democracy, struggles to get almost two thirds of the population to vote is absurd.
In Middletown, voting is easier than getting groceries.
After becoming a registered voter, which most U.S. citizens can do upon earning a driver’s license, a card with information on when and where to vote is sent in the mail to those registered. The most difficult part of the process is driving to the designated location.
I can’t comprehend how Americans struggle to vote for their future. When I log into Facebook and Twitter, I’m overwhelmed by how politically opinionated everyone is, spouting their thoughts like annoying, pesky weeds in a garden, not caring who is effected or who responds.
People are willing type something that will start a fight but won’t take real action that will make a difference.
I was told in middle school that if you don’t vote, you don’t have the right to complain.
I hear some people say that one vote won’t change the world. One vote won’t make any difference. But when thousands of people develop that mindset, the desired change won’t ever occur.
If you want everything to change, vote.
If you want everything to remain the same, vote.
If you don’t care about your country or your children’s futures, then don’t vote.
But don’t complain either.
A vote is a voice. Your vote is your say in what will happen tomorrow, the next day and years after. Your future is up to you.
As a 17-year-old involved in the media, witnessing the injustices occurring each day urges my heart to scream to be heard. I want to be a part of the change for the better of this country, but I missed the cutoff by two months. Because I won’t turn 18 until a bit after the ball drops in New York and 2019 begins, my voice cannot be heard at the polls.
Nov. 6 is coming up fast. If you want to have a say in your life, take 20 minutes out of your day to travel to your poll location and submit your voice. When you do, make sure it’s loud.
I know I will when I get the chance.
