North Texas Daily

No matter what election may be coming up ⁠— whether it be a local election or the presidential election ⁠— your vote matters as much as anyone else’s does.

There seems to be a stigma around voting nowadays where if you choose not to vote, it won’t matter in the long run because just one vote isn’t going to sway anything in particular. But no matter what anyone else says about the process of voting or voting in general, every vote matters.

In particular, the current administration seems to be wanting to stifle particular groups of individuals voting rights, so now more than ever, people of color, LGBTQ individuals and women need to make their voices heard for candidates and policies that support them, even at a local level. There seems to almost be a push against these people to almost want them to not vote entirely, so it is definitively up to everyone to make known all the correct standards of voting to ensure these individuals, and everyone else included, is rightfully set up to correctly vote and make sure each and everyone’s voice is heard.

There needs to be assured voting locations that are entirely accessible to every person to make sure that votes are properly being accounted for and that every person is able to cast their respective vote when possible. This unfortunately leads into a common argument that on all voting days, no matter what election it might be, people deserve to be able to take off an hour or more from work or school to be able to vote.

Of course, there are some complications in doing this that could potentially arise, but Americans deserve the right to make sure that they are simply available to vote and that work or school not get in the way of that. If there needs to be set voting locations at schools and all different areas of employment, then so be it. It should be immensely easier to allow people to vote in specific, different locations, so setting up many locations in very diverse places would help to alleviate the issues that come with the inherent lack of accessible voting locations.

Voting is one of the most important things you can do as an American and you should exercise your right to vote in any and all elections possible, no questions about it. Of course, there needs to be some research done beforehand to make sure there is a candidate that best fits your ideologies and needs as an American.

After doing this, making an informed voting decision can also be one of the more fulfilling things to do as an American because it makes sure that your voice is heard and recorded in history.

Voting rights should never be suppressed and as independent, free people we deserve the right to demand proper voting practices to ensure everyone’s voice is heard and the change we desire is met with the people that we designate to do the changing. Even if your preferred candidate is not victorious, and especially if they are, it is still good to know that your vote helped to propel them along in the race and it should be even better knowing that your vote helped to bring that person into office.

Featured Illustration: Jeselle Farias