Nobody will ever deprive the American people of the right to vote except the American people themselves, and the only way they could do this is by not voting.” – Franklin D. Roosevelt
Full disclosure: In case you couldn’t tell from the quote above, I believe in voting. This column is an unapologetic, full-throated and earnest plea for you to head to the polls on Nov. 8 – or fill out an early ballot if you prefer.
Voting is fundamental to democratic government. The existence of this country is based on the idea and ideals of democracy, and a lack of it was the root cause of the colonies’ break with the British Empire more than 240 years ago.
Since that time, many of our major milestones have involved the expansion of the electoral franchise: the removal of property requirement (yes, at one time you had to own land to vote), the Civil War, repeal of the Chinese Exclusion Act, the women’s suffrage movement, the Voting Rights Act of 1965, the lowering of the voting age to 18 in 1971.
So why do people not vote?
The U.S. Census Bureau asked people who did not vote during the 2014 midterms exactly that. Here’s the breakdown of their main reasons:
- 28 percent too busy
- 16 percent not interested
- 11 percent illness/disability
- 10 percent out of town
- 8 percent forgot to vote
- 8 percent disliked candidates/issues
Only four in 100 people who did not vote blamed difficulty in registration or an inconvenient polling place. Even fewer blamed bad weather.
For those of you who might be unable to get to the polls (open from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Nov. 8) or plan to be out of town, you have an alternative available to you. Early ballots will be mailed beginning 27 days prior to the election and may be requested up until 11 days prior to the election. You can fill out an online request for an early ballot at the County Recorder’s website: coconino.az.gov/elections.
I hope that those who have felt apathetic in past elections might be motivated to vote this year.
Presidential contests are important, of course, and get international news coverage. However, there are also many state, county and city contests to be decided; not to mention ballot initiatives. If you review your packet of information on the races this November, it’s likely you’ll find at least one race or ballot issue that is important to you and justifies filling out that early ballot or going to your polling place (azsos.gov/elections/voting-election) on Election Day.
Voting is one of the greatest tools citizens have to influence government. It drives elected officials and boards to be accountable to citizens. And it is the ultimate leveler of the playing field – your vote counts as much as the one cast by the richest or most powerful person in your community.
Voting is not a requirement in our country, as it is some places, but it is a right of citizenship. I would argue that it is also a responsibility. Forfeiting your right to vote lets others control outcomes that may impact you.
So exercise your right, live up to your responsibility, and celebrate the civic life of your community and country: Go vote. QCBN
By Cynthia Seelhammer
