Promoting With Voting

This week in Government we read about Elections, the election process, and individual voting. I chose to draw a cartoon representation of what I believe voting is:

The "uncle Sam" figure, which represents the Government, is listening as individuals give the government their responses one by one. Overall, it represents that, even if it is not required to vote you still have the right to have a voice. The stepladder represents what it takes to make an educated opinion such as by reading newspapers, keeping up with politics, and staying informed about recent events and controversy. As much as people say they hate politics, our world revolves around putting people in charge to stay balanced, and it is our role as citizens to keep up with such things to make our community better. 

Now, we can't just run off and check off boxes this way and that. Everyone has their own opinion which may be expressed through the representative they elect. However, if you don't stay informed about what is going on in your community, this could happen:

It is the responsibility of the individual to keep up with all of these factors in order to make an educated and informed decision about who you choose to represent you, and even to decide what kinds of laws could be passed in your area. Polls often ask the generic, to-the-point question when they want to ask about a law, so it is up to you to be informed about what the law entitles in order to vote yes or no. Asking your representative questions, talking to friends and family about the matters, and keeping up with the local news through broadcasts and newspapers are all examples of how to be involved and how you can start being more active in your community.

Every Vote counts, even if you don't believe you would make a difference. Think about it, if you think that and still voted, how many others do you think do the same? If everyone who doubted they would make a dent all voted yes on the same matter, it could potentially change the outcome of the poll than if you didn't go in the first place. The E-book further supports this by saying, "As stated by Berelson, Lazarsfeld, and McPhee (1954, p. 308),”… [W]hen a person buys something or makes other decisions of daily life, there are direct and immediate consequences for him. But for the bulk of the American people, the voting decision is not followed by any direct, immediate, visible personal consequences.”' (The Learning House, 2014) Because our communities can be so large, or have so many people, or any combination thereof, it is hard for us to see the results of our actions, including our voting habits. We could end up being misrepresented or our communities could cripple because not enough attention is being placed upon it. There's a delicate balance that we, as citizens, are keepers of and it should be a priority for all of us to be concerned about the rest of the community.

So, overall, I believe one must stay informed and claim the right to have their voice heard. It is much better to cast a vote and not have the outcome you want than not cast a vote at all.