Yes, It Matters

We’ve heard it before, from cynical friends, family, and co-workers: “Why bother to vote? It doesn’t matter.”  And in recent years, it can feel like that’s the case. The rich wield the money, thus, seemingly all the power. So, what can Little Old Us do with our vote?  Turns out, plenty.

History is littered with stories of how a handful of votes – sometimes as few as one – can change the course of things.

• In 1800, Thomas Jefferson was elected president by a single vote after a tie in the Electoral College.
• In 1962, the governors of Maine, Rhode Island, and North Dakota each won office by an average of one vote per precinct.
• In 2000, George W. Bush won the presidency by just 537 votes in Florida.

In the 2016 presidential election, only about 59% of eligible voters turned out (and we saw how well that worked out); by 2020, the number of participating voters was 66% -- which is still too low compared to other countries. Among 50 nations, America ranks #31 in voter participation.

Look, your right to vote has been hard-won. Besides those who died fighting for independence, think of those who risked their lives during the Civil Rights movement in the Jim Crow South. Then there are women: in 1920, the 19th Amendment guaranteed the right of women to vote. But that fight had begun in the 19th century with women performing acts of civil disobedience (in heavy skirts and corsets, no less) and enduring horrific force feeding after beginning hunger strikes.

So, allow me to shame you, just a little if you reject all that hard work, pain, and suffering out of hand.

When we’re frustrated that someone like Elon Musk can casually toss the Trump campaign millions of dollars to get tax breaks and more power, it’s easy to give up. But voting is ultimately about math: there are more of us than there are greedy, emotionally stunted weirdos like Musk. Think of your vote as something of a “middle finger” to those who would try to keep you from getting a better deal in our country.

Throughout history, higher-ups have used everything from threats and fear to preventing education and promoting ceaseless propaganda to prevent citizens from realizing and owning their power. The vote is the one thing that’s been shown to balance the scales and keep the powerful in check.

While we’ve been repeatedly told that every election is “the most important,” in the case of 2024, it truly is. We’re at a tipping point; other countries have fallen into chaos, never believing it would happen to them. Until it does (see; Nazi Germany or fascist Italy). Your vote matters. 

Early voting has already started in some parts of the country. At 100 years old and in hospice for over a year, former president Jimmy Carter just cast his ballot in Georgia. He’d told his family that he wanted to live long enough to vote in this critical election. If he can hang on long enough for that privilege, the rest of us have no excuse.

Use this resource to learn where and when you can vote in your area. And when you mark that ballot, think of all those who worked so hard to allow you to do so.

Why is this election important to you? Share with the community how your vote can make a difference.

Cindy Grogan is a writer, lover of history and "Star Trek" (TOS), and hardcore politics junkie. There was that one time she campaigned for Gerald Ford (yikes), but ever since, she's been devoted to Democratic and progressive policies.