I am writing this on the day before the 2016 presidential election, but I am not sure when I will actually publish this blog entry. Regardless, elections, primaries, caucuses, etc. come around more often than every 4 years, so this can apply at many different times.
In short, if you are an eligible voter, you should exercise your right to do so. This is pretty obvious advice, but a lot of people don’t seem to follow it. You need to vote to share your voice. You need to vote to exercise a right that many in the world don’t have. You need to vote because it is an easy way to be involved in both the local and larger communities in which you live. Don’t take this right or your power for granted.
My view is that if you can vote and you don’t, you then give up your right to complain about what is going on in government. I’ve said this to my husband many times, but he takes it a step further. He is a voter, but he said it’s not simply enough to vote. You also have to be an informed voter. I think he makes a great point. So, vote, yes, but also be informed about who is running, what issues are on the ballot, etc. I’m not much into politics, but I do feel that informed voting is an essential and easy way to take part in our communities.