UNITED STATES—It just upsets me so much, when I hear people say they are not going to vote, especially when it comes to local elections. For some reason, people think the only time you truly need to vote when it comes to the Presidential Election.
News flash, your vote for President of the United States doesn’t matter as much as you think. They have some power, but a lot of that power comes from local representatives. Your mayor, city council, Congressional representatives, U.S. senators. You might say why that matters?
Well for your mayor and city council they determine a lot of the laws and ordinances that are passed in the city where you actually live. It impacts crime, schooling and education, mileage, judges and so much more.
The problem is that is not taught as much in schools or if it is people just don’t listen. Recently, we had local elections, and it was like a darn ghost town. Couldn’t believe it, but then again it truly didn’t surprise me that much. Why? It has always been this way where I live.
People are so focused on posting their entire life on social media, but you can’t take 10 minutes to go vote in an ACTUAL ELECTION that is going to impact your life as well as the lives of your children.
It just sickens me because when you have ancestors and relatives who didn’t have the privilege of casting a vote without being harassed, beaten or threatened with violence if they voted, you should appreciate that freedom that you actually have. By not voting, you’re not allowing your voice to be heard, so that means you have no reason to complain.
I’ll be honest, I didn’t even want to get out of bed and head to my polling location, but then I reminded myself, “If you don’t vote, the people who vote for you to have that right to vote was for nothing.”
I don’t vote just because I want to have an impact in local politics, I want to ensure my right to vote is actually ensured and there is not junk about some generations not understanding the importance of voting as much as older generations.
There needs to be more education about elections on the local, state and federal level. The focus on any news channel time and time again is always who is running for President of the United States, and you always get the same candidates who are all terrible, can give a rat’s you know what about YOU, and tend to be worried more about giving handouts to their pals than actually caring about the people who pay taxes, not the millionaires and billionaires who pay nothing.
This is not just something that needs to be approved upon in schools, but parents must take more actions to teach their children and young adults the importance to vote for their local politicians.
