Conor Cawley: Why We Vote

You’ve seen commercials. You’ve heard campaigns. You’ve weathered  insults, diatribes and screaming bouts from relatives, friends and strangers young and old. And the message stays the same: voting is important.

The reasons are plentiful. Because it gives you a voice. Because someone fought for the right for you to do so. Because what if that mean guy  wins by one vote and you stayed home. It seems like an inconvenience now, but the feeling you get from contributing to a choice this monumental, this significant, this mindbogglingly divisive will fill you with more purpose than you’ve ever felt.

This process wasn’t just fought for it; it was died for. People laid down their lives to make sure every person had a say in who would represent this country. And whether you believe in it or think it’s rigged, the ideology of this system lends prudence to the notion that we are all in this together. The people that represent us are the people we choose, through popular election, and that’s pretty cool.

There are reasons not to vote too, and we’ve heard them more than their counterparts. “I don’t know the issues,” “All the contestants suck,” “One vote can’t make a difference.” But does any of that matter? Get as involved as you want. Make a choice to read an article for 2 minutes and select someone that shares your values, your interests and your love of feeling important.

I have a stance and I’m sure you do too. It’s been a heated season but, in the grand scheme of things, it doesn’t matter. The fact that you get to throw your name into the vast abyss of popular elections and, even in some small way, influence how things turn out is enough to make the hair on the back of your neck stand on end until the end of the year.

So vote. Get out and vote. Vote for this year’s American Idol. It’s important.