I am so glad you asked! Voting is really fucking important to retain some minor control in a country with a fucked up constitution that protects white men and money and shits on everything else. The system is set up so that it is more difficult for anyone who’s not a white man to vote, so I’m not surprised you feel that way.
Black men couldn’t vote until 1869, which is disgusting, but on top of that, they were met with “artificial hurdles like poll taxes, literacy tests, and other measures” to further prevent them from voting even when it was legal. The Voting Rights act did not come until 19-fucking-65 to repeal Jim Crow laws. Black Americans in the South could not vote in democratic elections until AROUND 1960. So like, when your grandparents were adults. Maybe your parents were even born then. Read more about the absolutely disgusting voter suppression Black Americans faced here. Until the 60s.
White women earned the right to vote in 1920, but unsurprisingly, they were really racist too.
Asian-Americans could not vote until 1943. Mabel Ping-Hua Lee is someone you probably didn’t hear about in history class, but she fought really hard for Chinese Americans’ right to vote.
Native Americans couldn’t vote in every state until 1962.
Latinx people faced voter suppression as well and legislation to correct it was not put in place until 1974.
All of that to be said - I understand why you say voting doesn’t matter, and it’s because the voter suppression that existed for hundreds of years is still working. They’ve convinced you that none of it matters so you’re sitting it out, which lets them win. If not for any other reason, why not vote to say fuck you to those that actively pushed for white supremacy, violence, and sexism to continue? Why not do it symbolically, even if you think your vote doesn’t matter?
More than a dozen elections have been decided by one single vote. A GOP cop lost an election by one vote. Fuck the GOP, and fuck cops. Your vote could mean the difference between a cop being in power.
One election that was decided by a single vote created a Republican majority in the Virginia House of Delegates because “one of the ballots was “defaced” because the names of two candidates were crossed out with the notation “Do not desire to vote for these two”. They did this even though the person who cast this vote (which was known because it was a signed absentee ballot) testified that he intended to vote for Moss. Throwing out the ballot created a tied vote.[10]
Finally, I’m going to copy and paste this entire article about why it’s important to vote in local elections.
1. Local government manages a lot of different things — and their decisions will directly affect your life.
There is no level of government that is more directly responsible for serving your community than your local elected officials. Local government can affect almost every aspect of your daily life. Here’s just a few of the things they’re responsible for:
Deciding sanctuary jurisdiction status
Policing and public safety (and holding police accountable)
Rent costs and affordable housing
Alcohol and marijuana ordinances
City colleges and job training programs
… the list goes on and on, all the way down to your recycling options and collection.
To sum it up: your local government has a lot of money and influence to decide what your community’s priorities are and how it will be run.
2. State and local governments lead the way when the federal government isn’t.
For many of us, the 2016 election was a rough one. Like, really rough. More than any other voting bloc, our chosen candidates ultimately didn’t win. But there’s still a way to harness your passions and make a real difference, and that’s by getting involved in municipal elections.
Did you know that many landmark federal policies first originated at the local level? It’s true — local politics have a long history of shaping change in our country from the ground up. Policies such as women’s suffrage, minimum wage, environmental protection, and marriage equality all began at the local and state level.
By voting in local elections and holding your officials accountable, you can help create the change you want to see in our country. If nothing is moving forward at the federal level (or your federal representatives aren’t making progress in areas that you care about), it’s the responsibility of local governments to take action.
3. Your vote will make a difference.
Typically, just 1 in 5 voters participate in off-year local elections — meaning your vote at the local level can have an even bigger impact. For example, on just one election day in Ohio, 7 local issues were decided by just 1 vote.
Plus, if you do participate (and help your friends and family get to the polls, too), your elected officials will likely be more responsive to your needs and interests because you’re a voter. And if they aren’t, the next election is a a great way to fix that…
Again, make sure you never miss an election and are signed up for Rock the Vote’s Election Reminders. No matter where you live in the US, we’ll give you the information you need to participate in your local, state, and federal races. Also, make sure to check out our list of 2017 election dates to find out what’s happening in your area and across the country.
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