By: Jools Pulcher, Art & Life Editor
Voting is the most important civic duty that exists in this country. Full stop. The best and most persuasive argument I can give for this is also one that is something that can’t be fully explained. Voting is participation in what happens to you as a citizen. Voting determines what happens to you. If you aren’t voting, you are letting Jesus, or whichever higher power you believe in, take the wheel of your life. I can’t explain the concept of self preservation. You should care what happens to you.
However, there are a lot of other important points as to why voting is important. I mean one of the biggest arguments is the dumpster fire of a government that currently holds office. The Trump administration has consistently stripped away the rights of millions of Americans, and jeopardized the lives of countless human beings attempting to come to the U.S. But even if that weren’t the case, Trump isn’t qualified or mentally stable enough to run a country. But, he holds the highest office in this country. And for what reason? Well, dear reader, most of it has to do with the fact that we didn’t take our elections seriously enough to keep him out of office.
In 2016, 58 percent of our voter eligible population actually voted. Now, if you got that percentage on any sort of examination or graded assignment, your reaction would automatically be to attempt to fix what you did for the next time around. So why is it that we see this statistic and still don’t attempt to fix our voter problem? Is it because we are lazy or we just don’t care?
Ultimately, in the fight for our future, knowledge is power.
There are two things you need to be aware of to be a successful and informed voter. These things are voter roll purging, deadlines, and election requirements. To start off, voter roll purging is when a registered voter is kicked off of the administrative records that list them as eligible to vote. This method is used as a method of tilting elections to the advantage of one side or the other by taking unsuspecting voters by surprise. The ugly thing about voter roll purging is that while it can happen to anyone at any time, it usually targets minority voters and by the time they realize, it’s too late. To counteract the effects of purging, it is always advisable to double and triple check your voter registration every so often to ensure you haven’t been purged. The second thing you should be aware of is deadlines. Every so often you can check any number of voting advocacy websites, or even the website for your Secretary of State, and which elections are being held should be available for your viewing. Some states, such as Missouri, may have deadlines that logically seem early.
The Secretary of State’s website is your best friend for any and all things voting related. Whether you need assistance finding your polling place, figuring out when election day is, or even registering to vote, this website is a one stop shop. I have faith in us as a nation, so please register to vote. Happy voting everyone.
