Many elections have come and gone since I turned 18, and I have not voted once. However, I’m sure all of you advocates out there will be glad to know that all changed at 7:04 am this morning. I was the sixth person in my precinct to run my ballot through the scantron machine.I actually woke up this morning feeling excited to participate this Election Day. I was surprised at being able to wake up so early after a long night of thoroughly discussing with my boyfriend the pros and cons of each amendment and bond to be presented on our ballots. My boyfriend, by the way, is another one of those with their incessant, "It’s every American’s duty to vote." He’s worse though because he has the extra chorus of, "The whole reason I teach is to provide students the proper tools to cast educated votes."After many debates with numerous people, I still refuse to believe that opting for a lesser evil is a good idea. That kind of reasoning just doesn’t sit well with me. Why should I be forced by alleged "obligation" to pick one politician over another when I don’t really believe either candidate has the people’s best interest at heart or the capability to perform well once in office? To say I voted?As it turns out, nagging and threats of revoking my right to complain were not even close to being satisfactory reasons to get me registered What I needed was real motivation. I had to feel that by giving my support in the form of a check mark (or in my case, a filled-in oval), I was bringing myself one step closer to the things I want for this country. After all, if I’m going to vote for a potential leader, shouldn’t I believe this person is going to take me somewhere good?Finally, with this presidential election, along came a candidate I feel is genuine in his wishes for a better America and a better world. I’ve watched his interviews, listened to his debates and attended one of his rallies. The more I got to know him the more I thought, "If one man can make a difference, then this is the one, and it would be a shame if he were not elected." Although I still don’t believe that every vote counts, at least I can say I didn’t make a compromising decision. I will feel no shame in having my ballot read, "I want Barack Obama to be the next president of the United States."
A Nonvoter Who Voted
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