Editorial: Go Vote, or Stop Complaining!

Comic by Luis Ortiz ® Cartoonist |

Every day, Facebook reminds us that we should register to vote. Every YouTube video seems to start and end with telling us to get out and vote. Every celebrity seems to be hitting their Instagram stories nonstop with reminders for us to vote.

Frankly, it is annoying, but it is necessary.

Particularly with young people in this country, we have such a growing voice in politics, but if we do not use it, then our country will continue to be governed by those much older than us, who do not truly represent our best interests.

Voting is the single most important way that we are able to make our voices heard.

Protests, civil unrest or social media campaigns mean nothing when it comes to the end result if we choose not to vote.

It is incredibly important for us to have these “difficult conversations” and “listen” to one another, but again, none of that means anything if you choose not to act on it.

The way voting is designed to work is that we all get a small say in how we want our country, our state, or even our local government to run. In a perfect world, everyone would vote for what they believed in, and whatever the election resulted in would accurately represent the feelings of the majority of the population.

If you do not vote, then you are throwing away your say. You are essentially saying that you are okay with whatever the outcome is no matter what.

 With everything going on in the world right now, it is vital for us, especially us young people, to go and vote for what we believe in. Because if you don’t, then what you believe in will never have any sway in what happens.

There is a saying that goes “you can’t complain about a headache until you’ve tried taking an Advil.” There is no room in this country for people to speak loudly, but not act on their beliefs.

Whether you are voting Republican, Democratic, or even going third party, it does not matter. Until we see a country where everyone votes, we will never have true representation of every citizen’s beliefs.

So, for those people who are able to and actively choose not to vote, you do not get to complain. You do not get to be upset by the election results. You have voided your civic right to outrage by avoiding your civic duty to make your voice heard.