Jamilyn Smith

31 October 2018

The Importance of A Right Often Taken For Granted: Why My Vote Matters

I’ve grown up with a popular phrase resonating in my life “The government is messed up but even if I vote it wouldn’t matter”. This phrase always made me angry, “How could I live in a country that is known for its freedom of voice and yet when it came to voting it suddenly ‘Didn’t matter’?” As I grew older I went through civics class and other similar government classes that informed me on my rights as a citizen within the United States. Yet, when I learned about voting I was faced with the same statement time and time again of, “I mean, your vote doesn’t really count because so many people vote”. I was left thinking for the longest time that my vote couldn’t matter for my parents, teachers, and many other adults in my life had all said so. But yet they weren’t right, I knew they couldn’t be. The truth is, my vote does matter, as does every United States citizens. A single vote can matter in many ways, a few of them being that it can make a decision, let you declare your opinion, and it is a driving force of holding the government accountable.

Thinking about the actual numbers involved in the voting process, it is easy for it to seem as if a vote doesn’t count. Yet decisions are made because people vote. In 2016 there were 126 million votes cast for the election. Out of all of the people who could have voted in that election, 126 million people was only 55%. Just think of what would happen if the other 45%  had voted the other way, or even if they all expressed different opinions. They could have changed the course of history. The numbers matter, but even though they may look hopeless, that simply isn’t the case. Think for a second. If no one voted except for one person, It would go that person’s way. The more people who vote, the more voices are heard. Every person has a right to vote and someone shouldn’t choose to not use that right because they feel small and insignificant. The truth is, while one person is a small number in a large-scale national vote, so is every other person who chooses to cast their ballot. Voting is your chance, no matter what fraction of the total, to state your opinion in a way equivalent to everyone else’s. As well, when voting politically, not every election is as wide scale as the election of the United States President. Most elections are actually at a much smaller scale with a smaller amount of people voting. By casting a ballot in a small, local election, you are given the chance to make your vote really matter on the impact of who wins.

Your vote doesn’t just matter when you win, it matters regardless because it adds a number to the side of your choosing. If a president, governor, or some position you vote for has a winner you didn’t choose, it doesn’t mean that your voice was lost. Numbers show both sides of the vote, and if many people also voted for the opposing side, an elected official isn’t going to be able to make as many drastic changes. The truth is, an elected official wants to be liked and have a high approval rating. Therefore, he or she will typically balance both sides of the argument once they are elected, and your vote was still one of importance.

Yet my vote doesn’t just matter because of the actual vote, but also because of how important the right of the voting process is. Even in the United States, not every adult has always been guaranteed a right to cast their vote. But, in our current society, we all are given a right to vote. This right symbolizes the equality our nation possesses as well as all of the steps we have taken as a nation for centuries to be the most fair and equal country to all citizens. My vote doesn’t matter because I am putting a single digit into a large box, it matters because I am contributing to America’s equality and all of the progress we have made. I am ensuring that many decades of protests and marches isn’t forgotten or put to waste. If people stop voting, the value of our voice in both the government and our care for society decreases. A vote doesn’t just elect people, it holds them accountable. Voting matters to keep America a democracy.

For all of these reasons, my vote matters. My vote matters because it can change the course of history, it allows me to give my opinion, and it keeps the United States government accountable and running. Therefore, every person who is aged eighteen or older should exercise their right to vote. We are all members of society and shouldn’t be negligent when it comes to the basic ways that our nation runs. Instead, we should hold those in office accountable and do our research. Most of all, we should vote. Just like all Americans, my vote matters.