Go Vote!

On Friday, Jacob and I woke up early, hitched a ride on the subway, and cast our votes. With that out of the way, I can now post reasons as to why you should vote (regardless of which candidates you are supporting).

Before the Twenty-Sixth Amendment to the Constitution was passed on July 1, 1971, an 18-year-old could be drafted into war, sent overseas to kill or be killed in foreign lands, but could not vote.

Despite risking their lives, sacrificing their individual freedoms, and living and working in a war zone, some troops currently serving overseas will not be able to vote in this election.

NPR:Deborah Gatrell, who is based in Kuwait and Iraq with the Utah National Guard, is one of the military's voting assistance officers. She calls the system frustrating, but mostly workable.

"Some soldiers are still waiting, but most people have gotten their ballots," she says.

"Some"?! "Most"?!?! ALL troops serving overseas should have priority in their voting. We have extremely expensive, technologically advanced guidance systems that converse with a network of unseen and untouchable satellites for lifesaving data, but email is too risky? If I can sit at home in my PJs and trade stocks in Hong Kong, play RC Pro-Am against a kid in Brazil and order a new crockpot from Germany all at the same time, then there is simply no excuse for troops not being able to vote. If you aren't serving in the military, the least you can do is vote with their interests in mind.

Waiting in line sucks, but imagine being poor and having to pay to vote. The Twenty-Fourth Amendment to the Constitution outlawed charging for federal election ballots in 1964. The last state to adopt a similar ban for local elections was Mississippi, where a poll would set you back $2, the modern day equivalent of around $14.

Voting means you get an awesome sticker, which IN TURN will get you awesome freebies such as donuts from Krispy Kreme, a free coffee from Starbucks and a free scoop of ice cream from Ben & Jerry's. Plus, its nearly impossible to go into a bar with an "I Voted!" sticker and NOT score a free drink. Frankly, responsible citizens get more love. Don't you want to be loved?

Finally, the right to vote is a principle that this country was founded on. Thankfully, more and more of us have gotten to be included in this right as the years went by, but injustices are going to continue to exist until we all stand together and express ourselves in this very fundamental way. Propositions, initiatives, and candidates that infringe on the rights of yourself or your loved ones aren't just on the ballots for far-away states cited in the nightly news; they are on every ballot. Those in power want to retain that power, and it is our duty to keep them in check. Its imperative to carefully read every proposition, initiative, and candidate's voting record/mission statement, the arguments for and against them, and make your selection in the most mature and educated fashion possible.