Creating positive change in your community is made possible by democracy. If you think that your vote doesn’t matter, think again. Voting allows you to take part in the decision making that directly affects your daily life. Through placing a ballot, you may contribute towards the democratic process by selecting your preferred candidates or expressing your stance on specific issues.
Suzie Johnston, the Mayor of Flagler Beach, believes that voting is fundamental to a democratic society. She emphasizes that “not all elections are held in November every four years (referring to the Presidential election), lots of local elections are held throughout the year. To engage younger voters, let them be aware that voting is not just on November 5th, it’s basically throughout the year”. To stay up to date on your upcoming local elections https://dos.fl.gov/elections/for-voters/election-dates/ will provide you with multiple resources.
Suzie adds that it is important to “On a county level, vote for your local county commissioners that will represent your district for the best, and someone that’s really in the field and knows what your municipality’s biggest concerns are.”
According to National Geographic, the 2000 election between George W. Bush and Al Gore for United States President was one of the closest races in history. George W. Bush won the popular vote with only 537 individual voters. Had those 537 people not voted, we could have had a completely different president from 2000-2008! “About two-thirds (66%) of the voting-eligible population turned out for the 2020 presidential election – the highest rate for any national election since 1900”, according to Pew Research Center. Even though 66% was the highest percentage of American voters in the past century, it is still not enough! Imagine the significant positive transformation that could be realized peacefully with a greater turnout of eligible citizens exercising their right to vote.
If you are a U.S. citizen, over the age of 18, and have not committed any major felonies, congratulations! You are eligible to vote in Florida. Now all you need to do is register to vote and you can get to casting your ballots! You can begin your online registration for local, state, and federal elections at vote.gov. You can also mail in the National Mail Voter Registration Form to the location listed for your state.
Save the date! We have some very important elections coming up. March 19th, 2024, is the Presidential Primary Election. August 20th, 2024, is the State Primary Election. November 5th, 2024, is the General Election!
Voting fosters a sense of community engagement and civic responsibility. As more people participate in the democratic process, communities become more aware of their collective power, leading to increased collaboration and efforts to address local issues. It is an essential mechanism for shaping the direction and policies of a nation.
Reliable voting information for the state of Florida can be found at https://share.commoncause.org/voting-info/florida.
WORKS CITED
“Voter Turnout, 2018-2022″. Pew Research Center, 12 Jul. 2023, https://www.pewresearch.org/politics/2023/07/12/voter-turnout-2018-2022/
“Why Voting Is Important”. National Geographic Society, 19 Oct. 2023, https://education.nationalgeographic.org/resource/why-voting-important/
Great journalism!
THIS IS HOW CHANGE HAPPENS! VOTE!