Today is the California statewide primary election. The LA times has a special section on the event and Matt Mason over at Metblogs has a brief roundup.
H has stated she will not be voting today and I can understand why. We have been in the LA area for less than three months and H does not have a clue who anyone on the ballot is. There are also two propositions on the ballot and the back story to either of them is not well understood.
Having said that, it kills me that people don’t vote. My former boss is one of those people who would always say “… my vote isn’t going to make a difference …” and in some instances I can see where that is correct. These people look at the polls and the margin of victory is never a single vote so their assumption becomes it doesn’t matter whether or not they show up and take advantage of their opportunity.
My argument to the aforementioned logic is what if you take 100, or 1,000, or 10,000 people with the same attitude and thoughts on the electoral process. Now collectively these people can make a difference and their vote counts. So your vote really does count, it really does matter!
The right to vote is one that strikes a chord with me since I am not able to legally cast a ballot here in the United States. I am a permanent resident here and you have to be a citizen to vote. What is the difference between a citizen and a resident? Basically I have all the rights of anyone else but I can’t vote and legally I can be deported if I do something really bad. The problem I have with this argument is I am here in the country legally, I pay state and federal taxes yet I cannot decide who my elected officials are or how that tax money is spent.
And voting is such a big deal here in the United States because more often than not you have propositions on the ballot – a direct link to your voice on a specific matter. Here you can vote on whether or not to fund an extension of mass transit. Do you want to fund the refurbishing of the high school? Should we build a new road between X and Y (X and Y are fictional places I made up, don’t try and find them). My point is here in America you literally vote on everything.
Truth be told there is nowhere in the world I can vote. As a Canadian citizen living in the United States I do not have the right to vote in Canada either. The last time I voted was in 2000, a Canadian federal election, and unless I move back to Canada on a permanent basis in the future I will never vote again.
Voting is never something I took for granted. It is a right given to you by your country and a chance for your voice to be heard so to speak. Take advantage today California, and most importantly in November!
This is unrelated to your Election post.. but:
Wait until you get used to some of the local commericals, too. Like Cal Worthington, The General (insurance), and Closet World.
There’s also a weatherman named, I kid you not, Dallas Raines…and another one named Johnny Mountain.
Oh – and you should YouTube for a guy named Huell Howser. He’s fun to “Mystery Science Theater” (make fun of) when he’s on PBS – but I did actually learn a thing or two about some nice, non-tourist trap drive-to vacation spots here in SoCal – like Idylwild, CA.