One person’s voice in a crowded room is virtually impossible to hear.  But once you get many people’s voices speaking in unison, suddenly their message comes through loud and clear.  It’s the same way with voting.  But people sometimes don’t realize that their one voice counts too, adding to the chorus of others that share their same beliefs and ideals.

The ability to vote is a great privilege to have.  It’s a privilege that shouldn’t be wasted, and yet some people do.  But why?

Well, for starters, the winner of a presidential election isn’t necessarily the candidate that wins the most popular votes.  This is because the United States isn’t a direct democracy.  Individual citizens’ votes are not used to elect officials.  Rather, citizens’ votes are used to guide the voting of representatives in the Electoral College, who, in turn, elect officials.

I’ve heard people claim that the voting system that the United States uses makes individual votes unimportant.  Unimportant?  What would happen if everyone thought that way?  The Electoral College would have no way to decide how to vote.

Under the current system, the candidate that wins the most popular votes within a state generally receives all of that state’s electoral votes, although in close races some states have been known to split their votes.  The number of electoral votes in a state is based on the number of Congressmen that represent the state, which in turn is based on the state’s population.  The candidate that receives the most electoral votes wins the race. 

So your vote does count, just not directly.

Young voters especially don’t seem to want to get out there and lend their voices to the election process.  But if you don’t speak up, how can you possibly be heard? No one wants to just go with the flow. 

You have opinions too, and your complaints will never be addressed unless you bring them up.  Just because you’re young doesn’t mean you should shy away from expressing your opinion, especially when it comes to politics.

I’m not saying you should go pick up a sign and protest something.  Although if you’d like to do that, more power to you.  I’m just saying that, as citizens, we should be keeping ourselves informed about everything, including politics, and lending our unique opinions to the discussions that are constantly ongoing.

If you plan to vote for someone without looking at their stance on political issues, then please don’t bother.  Don’t just vote for who your parents are voting for.  Don’t just vote for someone because they look “presidential.”  Look at what the candidates say, look at where they stand, and decide who you think would do a good job.

If you’re able to vote, then do it.  There’s nothing really stopping you but yourself.