Why You Should Vote, Even if You're Feeling Apathetic
The past three years have been rough. If we were already feeling apathetic during the 2016 elections, we’re probably feeling more so now. But it’s a new decade - and here are three reasons why you should vote, even if you’re feeling apathetic.
Asian Americans are the fastest growing racial group in the U.S. Politicians have typically overlooked APA voters, even though we have the power and capacity to flip seats.
Your vote actually counts. You’re not just voting for the President. More people of color and womxn of color are running for political office now than ever before. To support these communities, you need to go out and vote for them. Other than the presidential candidate, you’re voting for your local representatives, judges, propositions, etc. - all the things that affect you and your community. Years ago, when I was running for President of my college service fraternity, I lost by ONE vote. It mattered. The people who didn’t show up to the elections to vote actually mattered.
By refusing to vote, you’re actually taking action. It’s a myth that voting alone is going to make a change. Social justice movements and long-term, sustainable impact takes more than just spending a few minutes at the poll. It’s the living, breathing, every day actions that all of us have to take. We still have to march, volunteer, advocate, etc. So if you’re choosing not to vote because it didn’t make a difference last time, then you’re doing it wrong. Think about all of those people who stayed home in the 2016 elections. Their lack of voting essentially gave the presidency to Donald Trump. Silence is action.
Image Description: Quote by Edmund Burke on a white mountain background: “The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing”.
This isn’t a high school popularity contest anymore. We might not love the candidate 100% before voting for them. Just as there were voters who gritted their teeth when they voted for Trump, there were voters who gritted their teeth in voting for Hilary. There’s no such thing as a perfect candidate. Even President Barack Obama had his faults (such as deporting the highest number of undocumented people ever) but immigrants still came out in droves to vote for him. We need to get over the idea that everything has to be perfect in order for us to get behind it.
Continents are burning. Children are in cages. The time for us to rise up was yesterday. We don’t have the privilege or the luxury to wait around feeling sorry for ourselves. I’ve worked in elections monitoring in the Sudan and with the ACLU. I’ve met people who can’t vote and who would sacrifice their lives just to have their voice heard. As Americans, we often take voting for granted. In other countries, wars are started and fought just so people can have the right to vote. So if you care about social justice, climate change, a better community - whatever it is, take a few minutes to place your ballot this year.
The deadline for registering to vote in California is February 18, 2020. You can register at https://registertovote.ca.gov/ and it only takes 5 minutes.