May Contain Peanuts

bing!

It's Election Day! Guess what? I'm not voting. Ooooh, he's not using one of his most valuable rights as an American citizen. Yes, that's right, I'm not. But I feel like it is my responsibility not to vote. Why, you ask? Because I am completely uninformed about the people and positions I would be voting on. If I were to vote, I would simply be picking names from a hat. Since I am not affiliated with either the Democratic or Republican party, I am doing neither any service by voting.

I must say that I find this to be the right thing to do and I would encourage other to refrain from voting unless they are properly informed on the situation. In order to get the most from our electoral system, the people elected must be done so for the right reasons. We learned back in history class that originally only white land-owning men could vote. My understanding is that these were usually the only type of citizen that were informed enough on politics to make a worthwhile decision on the matter. Granted, there were most likely many exceptions to this rule, and as time went on, of course this status changed, giving us new laws that allowed for everyone to vote. This was because education and information became available to everyone and everyone could be part of the system. The issue is that not everyone chooses to be part of the system. I, for one, have no clue as to who my school superintendent is, who my local comptroller is, or what any of them do or say about issues. Therefore, any decision I would make on their behalves would be foolish.

This brings up my trouble with how voting is done nowadays. To vote, after one registers, one goes to the local voting place and chooses from the names given them on the list. I would hope that the person voting knows who they are voting for ahead of time and actually knows who they are voting for. I feel like this is most often not the case, especially with lesser important seats that still get voted on. What results is a strictly party-based choice, or in worse case, a matter of who has the better, more recognizable name. This is no way to base choices on, and I blame it upon the simplifying of our electoral process that is meant to provide easier access to the common man. This makes the voting process common and simple, negating the value of actually being elected. Instead, I propose this: all voting should be written in. No more choosing from A or B. Instead have the people voting actually write in who they want in that office. The people could even bring in a cheat sheet with them so they don't have to actually remember anything. If they can't remember the name or office, they can have the option of simply choosing R or D, by party, since the name wouldn't even matter in that case. This puts more responsibility on the voter himself rather than the ad campaign behind a given name.

This solution just seems the most fair to everyone, especially the candidates. The people who genuinely have interest in the political process at hand can rest assured that their vote means something and that each vote counts as it should. Party loyalty can still be achieved.

I know this whole post seems like a big jab at our voting system, but I feel like right now it doesn't truly convey an honest, interested process. I could go to my precinct's voting place, choose a few names (with no prior knowledge) and then be looked at as a responsible citizen who voted, even though I have done my government an injustice.

Sure, this way of thinking may not account for the majority, but in a time when 'every vote counts', we should be making sure that every vote does count and that every voter is responsible for that vote. Be informed. Voting is a right, but more importantly, a responsibility.