No excuses – just go vote

Mel Makaw.

I've always thought it's pretty weird that fall election time comes right after Halloween. As if ghosts and goblins aren't scary enough for us, we have to be bombarded by the final onslaught of politicians and special interest groups telling us in a never-ending array of commercials how to vote on this, that, or the other thing.

Soon, however, we will all go to the polls on Nov. 5 (unless we've already voted by mail) and put an end to the campaigning when we actually elect a new president, some senators and representatives and other officials, and pass or reject bills, bonds and amendments. I believe in the American process of making a choice by voting, but I will be glad when all this election bally-hoo is over.

Maybe. You see, as irritating as the campaigning is, the issues facing us this year will determine the future for our nation and each of us individually, and that feels as scary as any Halloween offering because of the current choices we have. It feels more important than ever for each of us to vote. Making a choice by voting – and voting for choice – is how we keep America free and belonging to all of us.

If we don't all vote, our American way of life will become more and more dictated by the few who do, which is, actually, a way of defeating the intended American way of life. If all Americans are to remain free and in control of their own lives and destinies, then all Americans need to take part in the process of making decisions. The alternative is almost too scary to contemplate.

Life is busy these days, and I know there are many excuses for not voting. But thanks to mail-in ballots, I don't think anyone really has a very good excuse that has to do with not having enough time. I myself have already voted – I filled out my ballot a week ago and put it in the box by the library. I was excited to do so – to do my duty as a citizen.

But being busy isn't the only excuse people use for not voting. Scarier still are the people who don't think their vote will count, so they don't go vote. That is like someone saying, "I'm not important enough to have an opinion," or "I'm not smart enough to make good choices." Everyone's vote counts the same.

Maybe some people don't think their vote matters because they think the outcome is a foregone conclusion, which is another scary way of thinking. Nothing should be taken for granted, as we've seen in recent elections. Every voice counts, even when they are all saying the same thing, or even when there is still division (a large margin of victory indicates a mandate; a narrow margin indicates there is more work and compromise to be done).

We are all important to the process. We are all smart enough to vote, if we only take a few moments to study the candidates and the issues. All of us have a right to help make decisions, to let our elected officials know how we feel about things. And all of us have a say in who those elected officials are going to be.

When it's all over, you may be rejoicing in the streets for a victory, or crying in your beer because you don't like the election results. But how scary would be if you don't have any say at all? How scary is it to think that if you don't vote, someone else is making all the decisions for you? How scary is it to think that if no one goes to vote, pretty soon there could be no election day at all, and the person in charge then - called a dictator - will just make all your decisions for you?

Elections are when we are all reminded that the government is there to serve us, and that we are in control of the people we elect and the laws and issues we favor or reject. We are in charge, and we can keep it that way by voting.

Election day - shortly after Halloween - can be a dark and scary time, or a day of celebrating our freedoms and our government, a government of, by and for the people. It is our choice, and having that choice is what has made us the nation we were conceived to be.

Election day is our day to do the most American thing we can ever do: vote.

© 2024 Mel Makaw. Mel, author of several books including On the Bright Side, a Collection of Columns (available locally at Tehachapi Arts Center), has been looking on the bright side for various publications since 1996. She welcomes your comments at [email protected].