Oct 31 2008
America, Get Off Your Butt and Vote!
Word has it that there will be the usual disarray of voting machines across the US come election day. We can routinely take people into space and back, place a piece of equipment with complete accuracy on the surface of Mars but apparently in 4 years we haven’t been able to design a voting machine that is going to be guaranteed to work and place it in every polling station across the US. This doesn’t mean that you should take an apathetic approach and say “why bother” however. Instead it makes it even more imperative that you register your vote in case it’s one of those votes that actually count for your party!
One of the main reasons that I’m hearing for people not voting is that they don’t like either candidate, and don’t want to vote for the lesser evil. Turn that viewpoint around and vote for the person who has the most positive platforms that you agree with. If you don’t like your party leader, and but refuse to vote for his opponent on principle, vote for your party leader - a vote for him cancels a vote on the other side, a non-vote means a vote for the opposition goes un-cancelled. Apathy isn’t an excuse, it’s an option, and those who don’t vote next week have no whining rights in the 4 years following the election should the party they didn’t want in office is elected!
People across the US are taking the opportunity to vote early. If you have this possibility, use it. Come Election Day the reports are that it’s going to be a zoo! Use the few remaining days before the election to place an early vote should your area offers this. If you’re voting by choice on Election Day, pack some refreshments, you’re probably going to wait a while and try to get to the polling station early in the day to ensure your vote is counted before the deadline.
Whoever you vote for, whatever you believe in, make sure you pay the price for the democracy in which you live and get off your butt and vote for the party you want to run the USA!
