In the 2014 election in Carroll County, only 29% of the 13,761 registered voters made use of their right to vote; and at the national level, only 19.9% of voters between the ages of eighteen to twenty-nine came out to the polls. For those of you who are not aware, twenty-nine percent is lower than the national average, which is lower than it has been in the last seventy-two years; and 19.9% is the lowest youth turnout rate EVER recorded for the federal election. Because of these statistics, which I assure you are far too scary to have ever been fabricated, I feel that it is more than fair to assume that people either simply do not care about the future of our country, which is ridiculously irresponsible, or they no longer see a point in voting.

This is something that I can understand. Until about a year ago, I would have argued with anyone who dared to tell me that one vote was important. It always felt so overwhelming to me, the number in our population. The fact that my vote would amount to only being a fraction of a fraction of a fraction of a percent made my all-so-important right to vote seem pointless. I’ll admit that the amount of power my vote has is quite small, and at times that feels quite discouraging, but I now realize that it is my very duty as a citizen of a democracy to exercise my right to vote.

As Mr. Gilbert, who teaches government, so eloquently put it “Voting is important because democracy depends on the opinions of the people. By voting, you make your opinion heard; so the way I see it is that if you do not exercise your right to vote, you do not have the right to complain about the government either.”

This is the argument that finally broke through and made me realize that even though my voting power is miniscule, it is still dutifully my power to use. By not voting I am doing myself and my country a disservice. This is why I now feel so strongly about staying informed on the election. Any close friend, or even acquaintance, of mine would tell you that my thirst for political knowledge is becoming borderline obsessive. While I realize I am probably taking my responsibility as a voter too seriously, I also realize that the majority of the people I come into contact with are not taking hold of their responsibility at all. The overall public apathy toward politics and the election, especially among my classmates who are or will soon be of voting age, astounds me. It almost feels like they are putting more effort towards being totally disinterested than they would have put towards being at least moderately informed. Unfortunately it is not just the apathy of my fellow Americans that keeps me up at night, it is also their blatant ignorance.

I’m not the only one that feels this way, when asked for his opinion about the importance of voting, he said “It is important that we vote, but what is more important is that we make informed decisions when voting instead of relying on hyperbole and propaganda to form our opinions.”

The media and the campaign groups of various politicians are constantly shoving exaggerations and misinformation into the public’s’ face. It is they that have caused politics in America to become a rumor wheel and a joke. Quite frankly it disgusts me that the future of our country is being treated like a circus by the media and being basically ignored by a lot of the general public. I’m not laughly, and neither is anyone else that is paying attention.

I urge you, no beg you, to take your responsibility as a voter seriously. You don’t have to watch every political debate or form a strong opinion on every issue, but please pay attention to the world around you. Watch the news. Talk to your friends and family about the upcoming election. Do a little research if you feel so inclined. Just do whatever it is you have to do to make a confident and informed decision about the future of your community and your country, and then take the time to vote.