2008 Woodie Awards
Not voting is just... stupid.
Staff Editorial
Issue date: 10/10/06 Section: Opinions
So you've been told to vote about a thousand times, by professors, parents, friends, and MTV. In fact, someone with a clipboard nags you about registering every time you leave the EUC. "Hi, are you registered to vote?" they ask with the strained politeness of someone who has been on their feet getting stubbed by passers-by for several hours. You tell them yes, regardless of the truth, or pretend you don't hear them, or smile weakly and walk faster.
Annoying, isn't it? Unfortunately, we're about to tell you to vote for the one thousand and first time.
Why is everyone nagging you about voting? Because not enough of you are. According to the Center for Information & Research on Civic Learning and Engagement (CIRCLE), 47 percent of 18 to 24-year-olds turned out to vote in 2004. That's a dramatic upswing from the 36 percent that came out in 2000, but it's still pretty abysmal, considering 64 percent of voters as a whole dragged themselves to the polls in 2004.
Of course, those are presidential election years, and this November is a mid-term. Turnout for mid-terms is always much lower, because people think they're less important. To be perfectly frank, that's just stupid.
In fact, let's just put it out there: If you do not vote, you are being stupid. The offices you'll vote for this election - be they judgeships, district attorney spots, state or federal congressional seats - are not only as important as the President, they are more so. These are the people that make the day-to-day decisions on policies that will affect your life. These are the people that can interpret and challenge the legislation the President signs off on. Most importantly, these are the people that write and approve that legislation.
You can't vote if you don't register, and the deadline to do so is October 13, this Friday. Your registration form must be post-marked or hand delivered to your local Board of Elections office by 5 p.m. that day. Luckily, if you're reading this and haven't registered yet, you've got plenty of time. Just go to www.sboe.state.nc.us/pdf/form06.pdf, print the form, and fill it out.
Annoying, isn't it? Unfortunately, we're about to tell you to vote for the one thousand and first time.
Why is everyone nagging you about voting? Because not enough of you are. According to the Center for Information & Research on Civic Learning and Engagement (CIRCLE), 47 percent of 18 to 24-year-olds turned out to vote in 2004. That's a dramatic upswing from the 36 percent that came out in 2000, but it's still pretty abysmal, considering 64 percent of voters as a whole dragged themselves to the polls in 2004.
Of course, those are presidential election years, and this November is a mid-term. Turnout for mid-terms is always much lower, because people think they're less important. To be perfectly frank, that's just stupid.
In fact, let's just put it out there: If you do not vote, you are being stupid. The offices you'll vote for this election - be they judgeships, district attorney spots, state or federal congressional seats - are not only as important as the President, they are more so. These are the people that make the day-to-day decisions on policies that will affect your life. These are the people that can interpret and challenge the legislation the President signs off on. Most importantly, these are the people that write and approve that legislation.
You can't vote if you don't register, and the deadline to do so is October 13, this Friday. Your registration form must be post-marked or hand delivered to your local Board of Elections office by 5 p.m. that day. Luckily, if you're reading this and haven't registered yet, you've got plenty of time. Just go to www.sboe.state.nc.us/pdf/form06.pdf, print the form, and fill it out.
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