Last Tuesday, I got to cast my vote for the first time. I was ecstatic to finally participate in the democratic process, especially after having talked about it all year in my AP Government class. My mom and I went to cast our ballots at the Oak Grove Baptist church, and pretty soon I was walking out with my “I Voted” sticker.

It makes me sad to think that many people don’t go vote. In the 2016 election, voter turnout was at a 20-year low. Some people say that they don’t vote because they’re not into politics, but that is not a legitimate excuse. Not liking to talk politics doesn’t exclude you from the influential role government plays in all our lives. From the roads you drive every day, to receiving annoying junk mail to the inflation and deflation of gas prices, we see politics play out everyday. So if you don’t care, you should.

 Resources are abundant when it comes to learning about current events. The Skimm gives a brief summary on important news and the Philip de Franco youtube channel talks about up to date, need to know stories in politics and pop culture. There is no shortage of ways to educate yourself. Regulations, legislation, and bureaucracies are government installed institutions we see daily that work to maintain our American ideals like equal opportunity and liberty.  

Another reason people don’t vote is because they feel like their voice doesn’t matter. However, our entire democratic system is betting that its citizens are going to come to the polls and cast their vote. If you blatantly decide not to vote because you feel like you aren’t really going to have an impact or that other people will go out and do it for you or even that the candidate you want isn’t going to win, then what is the point of even having a democracy? If people don’t vote, it isn’t a clear representation of what the country wants and the whole “republic for which it stands” completely falls.

The truth is, what is everyone’s responsibility is no one’s responsibility, so make it your responsibility to vote.