Why Does ONE Vote Matter?
One person, one vote. Yes, your vote matters. A lot! Let me explain.
Some people fall into the trap of thinking their vote does not make a difference. Some of their reasons are “I’m only one person”, “the Electoral College means that only the biggest states count for who is elected president”, “I live in a state that is dominated by the other party”, etcetera. Guess what? All these reasons for not voting are false.
The best reason to vote is that your vote counts as One Person, One Vote in all the town, school district, city, county and state elections. It is at these local levels where big-impact decisions are made that affect much of our daily lives. Here are just a few key examples:
- school budgets and plans to improve your schools
- local laws and programs to protect air, water and soil quality
- city budgets determine which areas of your city get funding for improvements
- city and county budgets for services such as social workers, libraries, parks, community centers, firefighters, police, programs for elderly and children, hospitals, and many more
- county and state judges who ensure that people’s rights are protected
- local and state officials who draw voting district maps
- state representatives who determine state laws and appoint numerous state officials
- your state’s representatives to the U.S. Senate and Congress
The Electoral College does not determine any of these essential local and state elections; in these elections, each vote has equal weight. The Electoral College only determines the presidential election, and while that is clearly important, all those other local and state elections are just as important, if not more. So please, get out and vote, and call your family, friends and neighbors to make sure they know why their votes matter.
As President Barack Obama said, There’s no such thing as a vote that doesn’t matter. It all matters.”
By Felicia Madrigal, Rideshare2Vote Volunteer
