I may have mentioned this, but I'm a political person. I grew up in a family that regularly discussed politics, encouraged me to form my own opinions and be able to defend them. The idea of politics not being something you don't discuss in polite conversation is foreign to me and something I often have to check myself for. It can be punishing to be so hyper aware of the world around me but I often feel better for being informed. And feeling informed means I really value voting in elections.
As an American, I'm glad I have the right to vote and have a say in how my government works. It's an action not granted around the world and gives people power to dictate how they want their country run. I believe that if someone has the right to vote, it is behooving of them to exercise that right as often as they can. It's no use complaining about the world you live in if you aren't going to the ballot box to make your frustration known. So I want to break down how voting works, how to choose your battles at the ballot, and how to approach voting in general.
The first step in voting is to register to vote. Anyone over the age of eighteen can vote in America, but you have to be registered with your state in order to exercise that right. You can register online at vote.gov/register, choose your state, and from there fill out an online application. My state of California's website can be found here and from there you can check your voter status and register to vote. Different states have different deadlines for registration, so if you want to vote in this upcoming election make sure you get in your application in timely. Make sure to check the option for a mail-in ballot so you can receive your ballot at home, making it easier to vote when the time comes.
When you register to vote, they'll ask you what party to choose. In order to make that decision, you need to think about the issues you care about and how they affect you. What are your values? What do you experience in real life that are barriers to your happiness? What hot topic issues do you care about? Here's a few examples:
Is affordable housing important to you?
Do you feel you're paying too much for your basic needs?
Do you feel safe where you live?
Do you feel belittled and not respected for your identity?
Is a good education important to you?
Do you need support from the government for your needs?
How do you feel about the taxes you pay?
These are questions you have to go over if you want to make an informed decision on voting and what party to choose. It's crucial to know these things when you go to vote and choose your political party. If you want an easier way to find where you sit on the political spectrum, check out this political typology quiz here. If you fall in the liberal/left spectrum, the Democrat party is the party for you. If you fall under the right/conservative spectrum, then the Republican party is where you align. If neither appeals to you, you can always register as Independent, Green, Libertarian, or others. The choice is entirely yours.
The voting ballot is usually divided into two parts - voting for your elected officials and voting for proposed initiatives. The elected officials are usually what's talked up the most - president, congress, local assembly and council members. Researching the people who are up for election is crucial in order to make a decision about who to vote for - what are their positions on the issues you care about? What solutions do they propose to fix the problems you have? If you google the candidate, you can usually find their website where they outline their positions. You don't always have to vote for the candidate that is in the party you choose - it's about who closest meets what you want the person running to be.
The second part of the ballot are official measures and initiatives. These are less about who is in office to enact policy but rather actual policy that will be enacted where you live. Measures and initiatives are issue-driven and can range from housing to civil rights to police reform or healthcare and so much more. This also takes a bit of research but your local newspapers and voting resource websites can help break down these initiatives. Look for what the initiative is addressing, the proposed solution, and cases for and against the initiative. California put up an easy voter guide for the 2024 election here just to give an example. And always remember, the choice is yours and yours alone. It's okay to seek advice from family and friends, but it's you alone who can make the ultimate choice in what you vote for.
More than anything else, voting is a strategy to getting your voice heard. I would warn against only voting based on if someone or something meets your beliefs 100% of the time. No candidate or measure is going to meet whatever you believe perfectly. It is a fool's errand to look for the perfect candidate or perfect ballot initiative to determine whether or not you should vote. It's like the play Waiting for Godot (spoiler alert: Godot doesn't show up and probably never will). It's best to search for who or what is closest to what you want and choose that on the ballot. Voting is like taking the bus - you probably won't find the route to get to the exact place you want so you're going to take the route that gets you closest and quickest to where you're going.
Voting in elections is something most Americans take for granted. I don't - there are so many places in the world where voting is outright banned or rigged in favor of authoritarian leaders. America is one of the few places that can determine whether or not people live in a society where they have choice and the government helps them. And given the stakes of this particular election in 2024, I hope people choose to exercise that right. This video I found on the site formerly known as Twitter illustrates it perfectly - politics does you whether or not you do politics and based on who wins on November 5th, you'll notice it a lot more. So please vote. Your life and this country depends on it.
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