My Vote Should Count!
As a registered voter in the State of Florida, I'm angry. Not at my elected representatives, but at The System.
In an effort to get my vote to count (because in all years past all was said, done and decided before Florida's Primary Election occurred) the representatives of this great state moved our primary election up a few weeks. Why this is a huge deal and they were penalized so greatly by the Democratic National Committee, I'm still unsure.
Should my vote count? Hell yes it should! Interestingly, I have voted in every election since 2002 when I turned 18. Every 2 years I either fill out my absentee card to make my way to my polling station- educated and informed ready to make my vote count.
Some will say that I voted for those representatives who ruined this primary election, and essentially screwed the Democratic National Party. My response- show me ONE representative from my district who has been in office less than 6 years. I did not vote for these men. Their positions and decisions are not my own and in many cases, I have voted AGAINST them because they are NOT doing a good job.
Could I do a better job? Not today, but certainly in 10 years. I'm young, I'm naive, but I'm an American Voter. A young American in the 18-25 age bracket who has seen a nation struck by terror and at war since I can remember. 9/11/01 was not the start of the War on Terror. In second grade I watch the Oklahoma City Federal Building fall to the ground and watch as rescue workers pulled children from the wreckage. I asked my teacher why someone would blow up a building with a daycare center in it. I asked my parents why none of the kids were crying when they were rescued. Nobody could answer my questions. I watched the footage from Columbine and in an effort to help keep the same thing from happening at my school, volunteered with the police department as an extra in their Active Shooter Scenarios. For my generation, my home is a scary place. I have the deepest hope, in my young and naive heart that one of the Democratic Candidates can help to make my home a safer place so that my children will not grow up knowing the fear that I have.
Unfortunately, those men who make decisions for me have decided that my vote does not matter. We are in a sticky place. A re-election will cost an estimated $30 Million. I dont want to pay for that, though I'm sure $30 Million is wasted from our budget every year anyways. Asking the candidates to pay for it makes it seem as though they are buying votes. Counting the election as it was is unfair to those who voted, those who didnt because they knew it didnt matter, and those who were on (or off) the ballot. People in Michigan did not have the choice to vote for Obama or Clinton.
I have no easy solution for this problem because there is no easy solution. But here is a suggestion- Change the voting system. The United States of America will hold a primary vote the last week of February and will hold a final vote the first week of November. This will cut back on annoying commercials, dangerous signs, people on the side of the road and other wastes of energy and money. Also, it will allow individuals who work on Tuesdays to vote on their day off. Poll lines will be shorter, more people will turn out and there will be no need to move up election days. My vote will count along with individuals living in Texas.
In an effort to get my vote to count (because in all years past all was said, done and decided before Florida's Primary Election occurred) the representatives of this great state moved our primary election up a few weeks. Why this is a huge deal and they were penalized so greatly by the Democratic National Committee, I'm still unsure.
Should my vote count? Hell yes it should! Interestingly, I have voted in every election since 2002 when I turned 18. Every 2 years I either fill out my absentee card to make my way to my polling station- educated and informed ready to make my vote count.
Some will say that I voted for those representatives who ruined this primary election, and essentially screwed the Democratic National Party. My response- show me ONE representative from my district who has been in office less than 6 years. I did not vote for these men. Their positions and decisions are not my own and in many cases, I have voted AGAINST them because they are NOT doing a good job.
Could I do a better job? Not today, but certainly in 10 years. I'm young, I'm naive, but I'm an American Voter. A young American in the 18-25 age bracket who has seen a nation struck by terror and at war since I can remember. 9/11/01 was not the start of the War on Terror. In second grade I watch the Oklahoma City Federal Building fall to the ground and watch as rescue workers pulled children from the wreckage. I asked my teacher why someone would blow up a building with a daycare center in it. I asked my parents why none of the kids were crying when they were rescued. Nobody could answer my questions. I watched the footage from Columbine and in an effort to help keep the same thing from happening at my school, volunteered with the police department as an extra in their Active Shooter Scenarios. For my generation, my home is a scary place. I have the deepest hope, in my young and naive heart that one of the Democratic Candidates can help to make my home a safer place so that my children will not grow up knowing the fear that I have.
Unfortunately, those men who make decisions for me have decided that my vote does not matter. We are in a sticky place. A re-election will cost an estimated $30 Million. I dont want to pay for that, though I'm sure $30 Million is wasted from our budget every year anyways. Asking the candidates to pay for it makes it seem as though they are buying votes. Counting the election as it was is unfair to those who voted, those who didnt because they knew it didnt matter, and those who were on (or off) the ballot. People in Michigan did not have the choice to vote for Obama or Clinton.
I have no easy solution for this problem because there is no easy solution. But here is a suggestion- Change the voting system. The United States of America will hold a primary vote the last week of February and will hold a final vote the first week of November. This will cut back on annoying commercials, dangerous signs, people on the side of the road and other wastes of energy and money. Also, it will allow individuals who work on Tuesdays to vote on their day off. Poll lines will be shorter, more people will turn out and there will be no need to move up election days. My vote will count along with individuals living in Texas.