I’m voting because every vote counts.
So often I’ve heard the argument made that, “I’m only one person, and one vote doesn’t matter.” I can’t help but disagree with this argument, based on personal experiences.
My story takes place a few years ago when I was still living with my parents and going to Kankakee Community College. My parents live in an unincorporated portion of southern Will County, Ill. called Wesley Township, which boasts a population of 2,568.
Reading the Free Press Advocate, a weekly paper published in the closest town, Wilmington, that covered the township, I learned they wanted to increase property taxes in the township, small at first but after a few years the growth was going to be quite large compared to what the township was offering in exchange.
When it was time for the election, proudly went to the voting booth and expressed my opposition to the tax increase.
I remember this day clearly because that morning before I left to go vote, I gave a stirring stump speech about taxation without representation that I doubt anyone in my family listened to or remembers to this day.
So, I proudly got off my rear and went to the polling place, and I cast my ballot against the tax increase.
When I picked up my special election edition of the Free Press Advocate, I was met with both surprise and delight to see that the tax increase had been narrowly defeated by one vote. That’s all it took, a single vote. Prior to this election I might have been someone to spout out, “I’m only one person, and one vote doesn’t matter.,” but this experience was all it took to make me a believer.
So, despite feeling that your vote might not matter, despite the feeling that you are one insignificant little cog in the greater political machine that is the electoral college system, just remember that your vote could be the deciding factor. Your vote could what it takes to change the world.
http://www.westerncourier.com/opinions/i-m-voting-because/article_2f57de1e-1e43-11e2-bbab-0019bb30f31a.html
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