Voting counts for more than you think
Natalie Gould, Guest Reporter
October 24, 2007
Can one vote realistically make a significant change that could alter the course of history? Yes it can. In 1825, one vote gave John Quincy Adams the presidency. In 1933, one vote gave Hitler the head of the Nazi party. In 1993, one vote passed the largest tax increase in history. There are several instances in our country's past when one vote significantly affected its future and wellbeing.
Students in our generation are taking a much more apathetic approach to voting than the generations preceding us. According to "The Youth Vote 2004," only 47 percent of youth, aged 18-24, voted in the 2004 election. That was an 11 percent increase from the 2000 election in which a mere 36 percent voted. So why this low percentage of voting youth? I asked a variety of students around campus if they planned on voting. More than half said they were not registered voters or did not plan on voting. Their reasons varied from being uninformed about the measures at hand, unfamiliarity about the candidates seeking presidency, not having an opinion, and to simple laziness.
Another recent poll, conducted by New York Times/CBS/MTV, found that 17-29 year olds are more likely to vote Democratic, taking more liberal standings in issues as gay-marriage and immigration. They are also more in favor of national health insurance. The other side of this, however, is that for every youth who votes liberally on these issues, there are five older voters who are taking a conservative perspective to the ballot.
Should we be concerned with either the local elections coming up in November or the presidential primaries approaching in November 2008? That depends on if you're concerned with new laws being passed, and with who is ruling our country. The past few elections, we have had measures trying to be passed in Oregon concerning ethical issues as abortion, gay-marriage, euthanasia, doctor assisted suicide, and stem-cell research. Some other issues were tax raises, social security, Medicaid, "No Child Left Behind," and eminent domain (prohibits a public body from taking over your private real-estate). Do these sound like issues we should have an opinion on? The importance of voting on these issues not only affects our generation, but our children's generation after us. The decisions we make today will pave the path and set the tone for the future.
As college students, we have the potential to make a significant difference not only in our community, but also in our country. In the next 20 years, our generation will be running for the presidency and several other political positions. Are we going to continue on with our apathetic behavior toward voting or are we going to step up and use our potential to make this country a place we enjoy to live? We can have a direct influence on our state and country if we would just place our votes. One vote can make all the difference. November 6 is the day to send in your ballot. We need to vote today so we can see a change tomorrow.