Wednesday, October 15, 2008

Is It Your Civic Duty to Vote?

The last few elections, there has been a lot of effort to convince people to vote. These efforts almost always target youthful voters. That is, those who have recently earned the right to vote by passing the legal age of 18 years.

While I applaud the basic principle behind these efforts, I can't help but wonder the kinds of people we are encouraging to vote. A recent 20/20 segment did a fine job of pointing out that not everyone who can vote, should vote.

It is my personal opinion that it is our civic duty to vote. I have some guidelines that go along with this.
  • Try to vote in every election. Presidential elections are important, but local and state races also impact your day to day life.
  • Know the candidates. Learn the candidates positions on issues that you feel are important. Candidate websites can be a great starting point.
  • Watch at least one debate. This rule really only applies to presidential elections, as most other debates just don't happen at convenient enough times to actually watch. Doesn't mean you can't read the highlights from an independant reviewer, however.
  • Don't be locked in to a particular party. Keep your mind open. Sometimes candidates get real close to the "other side." It really does make more sense to vote based on a candidates stance on specific issues.

I would also argue that while it is our civic duty to vote, it is also our civic duty to not vote if we don't take the time to learn about who we are voting for. This is the point John Stossel really hammers home in the above mentioned story by 20/20. People should not vote for a particular person simply because of race, age, or popularity (including celebrity, parental and friends' opinions).

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