Why Voting Doesn’t Matter in the U.S.
That’s right, I said it– voting doesn’t matter in the U.S. Despite the fact that we now have a Black president, I still believe very strongly that voting is a smokescreen, it’s a cosmetic layer meant to give the people a feeling of security and safety. And that’s why I don’t feel a shred of guilt if I happen to miss the polls on Election Day.
Now, too many of my views may seem ironic– maybe even stupid, however it is the way I feel. Did you know that during a presidential election the votes that are officially tallied are those from the Electoral College. Any votes outside of this organization are tallied as the popular vote, and are only considered as a general representation of what Americans feel.
With the last election, Obama was pretty much guaranteed a win because he was able to secure so many electoral votes. So, the popular vote, (the ones cast by the general public), was unnecessary.
In fact, there have actually been elections in American history where a candidate won, not because of the public’s vote but rather how many electoral votes they gathered. Of course, I will admit such a phenomenon is rare, mainly because the Electoral College does consist of members of the public. Granted, they do tend to be more elite, (since becoming an Elector is not easy), but they still represent what the average American thinks on some level.
However, it still doesn’t make the issue any better. In America, the popular vote doesn’t count. But I will tell you what does count– the things people don’t think about, like attending jury duty, Corporate events, lobbying or performing community service. The same people that joke about ditching jury duty would have a fit if you told them you didn’t vote in the last election.
In conclusion, Americans shouldn’t be so bamboozled by the media. Should you vote if you can? Yes. But if you don’t vote are you an ignoramus not appreciative of your country’s history and freedoms? Heck no!