There is a saying in this country, “You can’t complain if you don’t vote.”
Some will say this is hyperbole, but for me, I find the statement accurate. As an adult, I have tried to maintain a level of privacy in my political beliefs, and it should be surprising to my readers that I am writing on the subject of voting. People are very touchy about the subject. I really don’t know why, because either you believe in voting or you don’t. I don’t care who you vote for. I’m certainly not going to ask who you voted for. And I’m not going to even ask you if you voted. But what I AM going to do is tell you why voting is important, and why your freedom to vote/or not vote is a very special gift afforded to you by our U.S. Constitution.
I’ve lived all over the United States, have traveled extensively, and have lived in foreign countries. I have seen what it is like to have the freedom to vote, and have seen the opposite. It amazes me that when I am abroad the large number of people who want to talk to me about my right to choose, my right to help mold our government, and my right to be excited or disappointed in an outcome of an election. You see, not every country in this world gives their citizens these rights. Some countries forbid open discussion regarding their government. Of course, you know this. This should not be new information. But what I’m about to tell you IS something you may not be aware of. Let me tell you about last night…
Before I went to bed, I opened up my phone and searched on the internet for the outcome of the Arizona Primary Elections. I laughed to myself, because it was as if I was checking Lottery Tickets to see if I had won. As the posting appeared on my screen, a number I didn’t expect appeared. I zoomed in on it, and I literally took a gasp. The gasp was followed by the question, “What?” Before me was not only the results of who won, but how many voters showed up to vote . . . very few. Clearly, I was stunned! According to Voter Registration Statistics, “Voter turnout for the Arizona primary election was approximately 22.9%. …Fewer than 1 million of Arizona’s 4.3 million registered voters participated, resulting in a significantly lower participation rate compared to recent cycles.”
I was surprised because Arizona is supposed to be a political battleground for the General elections and could shape the way Congress leads in the future. But if
people don’t vote, then how can it become a battleground? In some districts there were less than 15% of the voters voting. Why? What was so important that it prevented citizens from voting via mail, using after-work-hour voting stations, or absentee ballots? Could this lack of voters showing up be a sign of complacency. Have they given up? Or could the low numbers be something more troublesome, like the lack in believing one’s vote doesn’t matter any more?
We live in a very difficult time. Every day, prices rise, news reports contradict each other, and leaders fail to lead or lead to the extreme. The voices of the masses seem to be drawing fainter and fainter, leaving the battle for change or stability to interest groups willing to march in streets to make their voices heard. But listen up… the only voices that EVER get heard are the ones that show up to VOTE! If you like something and want it to stay, you vote to keep it. If you DON’T like something, you make it your duty to vote against it. This is how our government works. Regardless of the climate in the White House, we as citizens are given these rights to make our voices heard. It is what our military members fight for; our freedom to vote, to speak freely, to stand up to our government and demand whatever we want to demand.
This is not an Arizona problem. . . this is a country-wide problem. After further 
investigation, I found out that people are failing to show up to vote in the smaller elections across the nation. It is these elections that are the MOST important. The candidates that are running for office in towns and states across the country are OUR representatives! They speak up for our town folk who do not get to march on Congress every time they like or don’t like something. Our government is based on representation . . . so we must VOTE to choose people who think like we do, to vote like we would want them to vote.
Are you happy with the way the United States is today? Are you unhappy with the way the country is going? Either way, it is your duty to let our government know how you feel . You can’t just sit back and hope it will all turn out the way you want it to. Because I’m here to tell you, more often than not, things rarely turn out the way you thought, when you don’t get involved.
I’d rather my state be a battle ground than be one that retreated when the going got tough. No matter your political leanings, voting is a freedom that the rest of the world admires and tries to emulate. I urge you to remember this when your next election comes along. I’ll go back to the saying, “You can’t complain, if you don’t vote.” So get out there and do your part!
*** featured photo courtesy of AZ Quilter’s Guild
