To Vote, Or Not To Vote? 10 Reasons Why You Should

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So I don't think that there is any denying that it's an election year, and this presents us with the chance to something special. We get to vote. We get the chance to take a hand in choosing our nations leaders. One of my favorite teachers from high school, Ms. Barton, told me once that if you choose not to vote then you have no business complaining. I've never forgotten that.

Did you know that only 57% of voting aged people voted in the 2008 elections? That's almost half of our population that lett their chance to speak up pass them by! Can you imagine the difference that could be made if the people who are too busy or too lazy or too uninformed made it a point to use their power to vote?

So here is a list of ten reasons why you should vote (brought to you by Savings.com) , I think any one of them is worth getting yourself to the polls. Especially reason #10 :)

1. Not voting is a vote for the other guy. You might not love your guy, but how much do you dislike the other guy or gal? Yes, "lesser of two evils" isn't so inspiring, but it still has some merit.


2. It gives you the right to complain. Say the winning candidate supports an issue that you're vehemently against. You have no right to complain if you didn't participate in the election.


3. People have died to secure the right to vote. Literally died. Voting is extraordinarily important right--not just a chore.


4. You can change the world. Given that America's a huge player on the world stage, any vote can have wide repercussions.


5. Because every vote matters. Elections have been changed based on just a few votes. Let's not have a repeat of the Florida vote in the Bush/Gore election.


6. "You're mad as hell and you're not going to take it anymore!" (Not really party specific.)


7. The midterms are as important as a presidential election. After all, the election will determine how much of his agenda President Obama can or cannot get through Congress.


8. It's your civic duty. Regardless if you do or don't like the way the country is heading, voting is like paying taxes: it's your rent for living here. Sure, taxes are mandatory and voting isn't--but when voting actually determines how much you are or aren't taxed (among other things), it really shouldn't be something you consider optional.


9. It's easy. If you can take a trip to the supermarket to buy food, you can take a short trip to a polling station.


10. You get an "I Voted" sticker. This one may trump all the rest.