The Importance of Voting

“Why is there an electoral college? It’s so unfair.”

“Why should we vote? It doesn’t count anyway.”

These questions are very commonly asked. It could be hard to find the motivation to vote when the electoral college is the deciding factor in picking our president and vice president of the country.

The electoral college is used to determine who our next president will be. Every state has a different number of electors based on the total representatives in Congress. The electors will each get one electoral vote. So voters aren’t voting directly for the president, they are voting for their district. The candidate will need to get 270 electoral votes to win the election. 

There are also states called swing states or battleground states. These states are called swing states since they can swing in either direction. The states this year are, Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas, Wisconsin. Then there are states like California, which will be Democratic state. If a candidate wins a swing state, they will have an advantage in the election. 

Although it might seem pointless to vote, it is still important that American citizens over the age of 18 partake in the election. Voting allows people to express their opinions on the political decisions being made in the world around them. Casting your vote gives you the chance to show your viewpoint on the election.

“Voting is an opportunity for us to choose our leaders and make a change on how our government has been handling our country, our state, our city,” said Suriel Arellano, a registered voter. 

 Voting during a pandemic may seem like it is not worth the risk to put your health in danger to vote, but there are alternatives, such as voting by mail, that are safer. American citizens can vote through email or even online. Even though we are in a pandemic, as a nation it is still necessary to choose a new leader of our country. 

“It doesn’t matter if there’s a pandemic or not, we still need to choose our leaders. As people of our nation,” said Suriel Arellano, a registered voter.

It can be hard to decide who to vote for. New voters are sometimes unsure of what to do regarding the upcoming election. They can feel conflicted on whether or not to vote for the same person as the people they are close with. It is okay for people to vote differently from those around them.

“Don’t judge people’s choices [in who they vote for], and be unified.” said Radwa-Moussa Youssef.

Many people find the electoral college to be unfair, while some appreciate it. The idea of the electoral college being the deciding factor of the election can cause people to feel a lack of motivation to vote. 

On the other hand, the popular is who the people vote. This would eliminate the electoral college since the electoral college is based on representation from each state. 

The importance of your vote does matter. Don’t look back on these times thinking you didn’t have more of a say our country. Go vote!