My Vote Matters and Yours Does, Too

In the 2016 election, I made it public and clear that I will not vote for Donald Trump. The responses by my friends and strangers is nothing short of panic. I am accused of two things:

Casting a vote for Hillary.
Sabotaging the Supreme Court for generations to come

I disagree. But don’t worry; my feelings aren’t hurt and I’m not offended.

But what I want to focus on here is just how important my vote is. Everyone seems to agree that it is, so let’s discuss WHY.

I’M NOT WASTING MY VOTE – EVEN IF IT’S NOT A MAJOR PARTY VOTE

[clickandtweet handle=”” hashtag=”” related=”” layout=”” position=””]A citizen who picks a candidate because that candidate most closely aligns with their beliefs is using their vote wisely even if everyone else disagrees.[/clickandtweet]

If everyone else disagrees with you, does that make you wrong? Not necessarily. Don’t be swayed. It’s much harder to go against the flow, but it’s always worth it.

“Be sure that you are right, then go ahead.” (famously attributed to Davy Crockett)

Our second president agrees:

We’ve bought into the notion that the two-party system is the only way. But what if’ it’s not? How can a 3rd party become a viable option?

This blogger says it all:

For my entire voting life, I have been told every election that THIS election is the most important of my lifetime and my allegiance is demanded to vote down the party ticket, regardless of the candidate.

For most of my life, I was suspicious of third party voters, of voters whose morals were “too pure” to vote for McCain and Romney. And I joined in the chorus of moderates who somewhat blamed them for Obama’s victories.

But for the first time, I understand where they are coming from. True, I think they drew the line in the sand way too early; but now I am with them at that line.

We, as Americans and Republicans, cannot afford to have a President Trump. A vote for him is not a vote for lesser evil. It is still a vote for something evil.

Perhaps if we had tried a long time ago actually to do the right thing, to nominate and elect the right candidates, instead of voting only to “defeat the Democrats,” we wouldn’t be in this mess.

There is more to our party than defeating democrats…at least there should be. Otherwise our party doesn’t deserve to exist any longer. We owe it to ourselves, our country, and future generations to offer something better.

I’m glad the signers of the Declaration of Independence and those men who fought in the War of the Revolution didn’t worry about keeping the status quo the status quo. THEY RISKED IT ALL: life, fortune, and honor. Shouldn’t we be willing to take a risk?

THE PRESIDENT ISN’T THE ONLY RACE THAT MATTERS – NOT EVEN CLOSE

The President is important, but thanks to the wisdom of the Founders, he’s not the most important. He’s part of a 3-sided balance of power. Congressional races are just as important (and arguably, sometimes more important), but how many people know the names of their Senators and Congressmen?

How many voters know the name of their state Senators and Representatives? Railroad commissioner? State Board of Education? County attorneys?

Be honest: do you go in the polls blindly and pick eeny-meeny-miny-mo? Do you vote in primary elections? Do you research in advance?

Local government equals local control. We as citizens have a great opportunity to effect change that goes largely ignored. And it’s out of ignorance.

I know. Local elections are rather boring. There’s usually not any drama. There’s rarely a televised debate. The most drama you’ll find might be a city councilman’s wife who embezzled money. But local elections are really the key to making a difference through voting. Considering that only about 3% turn out for local elections, every single one of those votes makes a big statement.

The 2016 Presidential race has divided the Republican party immensely. Opinions are strong. Emotions are high. But if every vote matters, we owe each other the respect that we ourselves desire. Even if you choose a different candidate than me, I respect your right to choose that candidate.

So What IS a Wasted Vote?

I’ve seen tons of comments online (and heard them in person) that “I will hold my nose and vote for Trump” or “I’ll vote for him but I’ll probably vomit.” Let’s be honest. You’re not voting your conscience. You’re voting out of fear. I consider that a wasted vote.

Many, many voters don’t do any research, and go to the polls with just some basic name recognition. Many vote for the biggest office, and leave the rest of the ballot blank. That’s a wasted vote.

Oh, these votes go somewhere, but they don’t mean much. And I’ll wager that the voter doesn’t feel that great about it.

How do you make it count?

I’ve written a post on being an informed voter: 3 Easy Steps to Being an Informed Voter. Go check it out. And vote your conscience!

God Bless America!

Hi! I’m Nicki! Welcome to my blog! A little about me? I’m a 9^th generation Texan living on a nine-acre homestead in North Texas with my husband and five children. I write about homeschooling, history, freedom, my faith, homesteading, reading, and quilting. If you want faith-based encouragement, be sure to follow me on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and subscribe to my blog!