Madison Kwiecinski – Editor-in-Chief

Mvk5945@psu.edu 

In the 2020 presidential election, a record-breaking number of people over the age of 18 voted and contributed to the selection of our next political leaders. This election had the highest voter turnout of the 21st century, so one would likely assume that almost everyone who was eligible to vote did so. 

However, that is not the case. Just under 67 percent of voters turned out on election day or voted by mail-in ballot. It is likely due to mail-in ballots that voter turnout increased as much as it did, to begin with. 

Why is it so hard to get people to vote though? The citizens’ right to vote is ingrained in the fundamental structures of the American government, so why does it appear so many citizens do not care to show up on election day? 

Well first, and most obviously, I think people tend to fall into the belief that there is no real value to their vote, because of how many people cast a vote as a whole. If this way of thinking is the reason behind the thirty-plus percent of eligible voters who are unaccounted for in elections, then all together those voters would have the power to completely change the balance of elections. 

To me, this means the value of your vote is not a reason to avoid the polls on election day. If every person believes that their vote does not count in terms of substantial value, then we miss out on hundreds of votes because of that belief, votes that absolutely could have made a difference. 

Another reason many people avoid the polls come Election Day is, I believe, simply that they do not care about politics or the candidates. However, I think choosing to not care about those who govern over you is a huge mistake, and all citizens should show some level of political engagement and awareness. 

Even if you are uninterested in politics, they affect your day-to-day life and can have larger implications for others. If I truly believed politics did not directly affect my life, which it does, I would still vote for the fundamental issues I know affect others. 

Although you may believe politics do not have a direct day-to-day effect on you, they do on others. It affects immigrants who wish to stay in the states, women who want to retain their bodily autonomy, those in the LGBTQ+ community who are fighting for equal protection and rights, and those who need government assistance to put food on the table. To me, part of voting is physically doing something to stand with the beliefs you hold. 

In contrast to the above, maybe you vote because you want less government regulation, to retain your right to bear arms, and to protect freedom of speech. Regardless of what you believe, it is important to stand up and go out to vote for it. 

If not one of these issues speaks to you, then maybe the reason you come out to vote on election day is morality. Perhaps, you vote because even though modern political issues do not affect you personally, you stand in support of your daughter, or the neighbor across the street who has been anxious about the repercussions of the upcoming election. 

Additionally, presidential elections draw in significantly larger crowds on Election Day than mid-term or local elections ever do. At a glance, this makes sense, since everyone is aware of presidential elections and knows who the President is. Upon further examination, however, this is incredibly backward in priorities. 

In local elections, the people you appoint will probably have a significantly larger impact on your day-to-day lives than the President ever will. For example, when you vote for who sits on the local school board, you are electing the person who will help determine what your child learns in school, and what guidelines must be followed. 

As far as pointless votes, to conclude on the same note that we started, the only pointless vote that exists is an uneducated one. If you do not know the candidates, if you are not aware whether you support their stance on the issues or not, then there is no true difference between whether or not you choose to vote. 

As election time approaches, do some research. Talk to your friends or family, if you are comfortable, about who they support and why they feel that way. Make sure you get out this year on November 8 and recognize the value of your vote and the duty you have as a citizen to cast an educated vote to elect our next political figures.