Voting is Cool
So first and foremost, election day this year is November 6th, which, as literally always, is on a Tuesday. So let's all agree to do our civic duty (unless your state requires you to register to vote and you felt like it was too hard) because when people talk about civic duty, voting is the big one. So actually go to the polls or complete the whole absentee process.That being said, I do have a few things to say about voting.
- Ohio is super hard to vote in, relatively speaking. According to Quartz, Ohio is the seventh most difficult state to vote in, falling in between Michigan and South Carolina. This is based on the Cost of Voting Index, which rates the ease on casting a ballot.
- Felony disenfranchisement is an issue which should be reversed. In most states, those incarcerated lose their rights either 1) while incarcerated, 2) for some time after returning to everyday life or 3) for some time indefinitely. This may not seem like an issue for most, but in Florida, one in ten of all eligible voters are disenfranchised—20 percent of eligible black voters are effectively disenfranchised. A historically unjust justice system which is commonly known to target minorities at much higher rates will, when combined with laws such as felony disenfranchisement, end in that clear disparity being played out over the political spectrum through one of our most basic civic rights. Why shouldn't voting rights be returned to those that have completed their sentences? Remember: if a crime is especially heinous, those criminals will be completing life sentences.
- On a side note, the electoral college should be abolished. I think to determine this we should ask a very simple, important question. Should a person with less votes (someone that loses the popular vote) still be elected? I'm not sure about you, but a system where that is possible to happen twice in the last two decades (or even once) does not sound like the epitome of democracy.
she said do u love me— VOTE OR DIE (@v0teordie) November 2, 2018
i told her i am monky
i only love my bed and voting in the midterm elections im sorry pic.twitter.com/zx9GJkbVJh
I honestly believe our government is broke. It is not a fun time when politics and media just lie or withhold the truth from the public. With that said I still vote and I believe some day our government will pull together. I just wish we could work together instead of separating and hating on people due to their political party. That is also why I do research during election time because I usually just vote for the person that will due the least amount of harm or will look at both sides before making a decision that will affect the nation.
ReplyDeleteI totally understand your beef with the Electoral College. I have mixed feelings about it myself; however, I'm from a tiny town full of farmers in Ohio, and if elections were based solely on popular vote, rural voices would not be heard. Campaigns would be directed toward people living in cities, and there would be no reason for a politician to pay attention to rural folk other than moral obligation, which, lol. My beliefs are generally opposite of the people in my hometown, but their voices should still be heard.
ReplyDeleteI agree! But then again, decisions that affect your specific local community will be sorted out in local and state government—where you'd have more of a voice for obvious reasons—it affects you! But for something that involves the entire nation (specifically an office like the presidency/vice-presidency) and really has nothing to do with specific region. In reality, with the electoral college, a voter in a in rural state like Wyoming technically "more say" than a voter in California, their vote counts for more (although it does little in the grand scheme). Like you said I think the only issue is that their specific presidential campaigns wouldn't visit states with less population BUT with many people of our country living in rural areas, their policy would need to reflect care and consideration to those people as well.
DeleteThank you for writing this very informative, logical blog post on the matter of voting. I agree with a majority of the things that you mentioned in your blog, however, I do not fit the mold as I do not vote by choice. The reason for me not voting is because I have no interest or understanding of the issues at hand. I feel if I were to vote one way or another that it would be a disservice not only to myself but to the country. I submit a vote for President but other than that, voting to me is not a priority due to my lack of knowledge of the issues at the forefront of our country.
ReplyDelete