With the general elections now looming, just a matter of weeks away, some people may find themselves asking: “Why should I vote? What’s the point?” Are you one of those persons my friend? Well, that is a very sobering question that each one of us should and must take time to answer. You see, the future of the country is at stake, therefore we just cannot afford to leave it to chance. Voting is the cornerstone of a democracy but, sad to say, far too few people vote notwithstanding that the outcome has the potential to affect our future for generations to come.
The ability to vote should be viewed and taken as a very sacred and powerful one. Voting serves an essential function in any country. By registering to vote, and then casting your ballot in a national election, you are helping to shape the place in which you live. We are extremely fortunate to live in a democracy where we have the right to vote for the candidate of our choice in free and fair elections. Politicians are accountable to the people who elect them – our votes can put them into power and, equally, they can also remove them. Therefore the reason to vote cannot be over emphasized – it matters both to the health of the political system and to the people who participate in it.
One man one vote says a lot. It puts each person on equal footing. Each vote is powerful. Each vote carries the same weight. A vote from a person deemed to be of high esteem has the same power as a person deemed to be of low esteem. Young people have the same right to be heard as their elders. The vote makes us all equal. We have a right to vote whether rich or poor, or young or old. Voting gives you the right and voice to have a say in the affairs of your country. It gives you the right and voice as to who to elect as the next Chief Minister and Government. Voting is the single most effective way to make your voice heard. By not voting, you give away your right to influence who gets elected.
Some people have the tendency to believe that voting is useless – it is a sheer waste of their time. It is just not important, they say, but they are so wrong in believing that lie. If the right to vote no longer existed, the country would no longer survive as a democratic nation – it will become completely totalitarian. Our democracy would end, so we need to keep democracy a live. Each eligible voter has a part to play in doing so. It calls for us to be sober when choosing the candidates. There are many issues to consider when casting your vote. So every vote has significance. Many elections have been decided by a single vote. So it is vitally important for us to go out in large numbers to vote to have our say about what happens to us, our children and future generations. Now is not the time for us to operate in ignorance or to be relaxed – for persons not voting can have serious consequences my friends. We are living in serious times. Anguilla needs all of us now – more than ever before.
The movie “Selma” should be a powerful reminder, for us of the price others have paid in times past in order to vote. “Selma” should remind us of how hard people fought, and how much they sacrificed, to get the Voting Rights Act adopted. Those people made a tremendous sacrifice. People have even given their lives so that you and I can have a say in who runs the country – a right that many countries still deny their citizens of today. Hence, we should never forget the reason for voting, because it paved the way for us today.
In that movie, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and others, spoke eloquently of the importance of voting as a way of preserving all other rights. The movie demonstrated how people put their lives at risk and some even lost their lives. So that should answer anyone’s question as to – “Why Vote?” my friends. Plain and simple: – it is your civic responsibility. It is your chance to shape the future. Therefore your right to vote is something that should not be taken lightly or for granted. Without a vote, you do not have a voice. It is easy to think that one vote won’t make any difference, but this simply is not the case. Every vote counts so use yours wisely.
In many countries, there are citizens who complain about the world around them, and many of them do not have an option to change that world. However, you do. You have the power and you have an opportunity to exercise that power in the form of a vote. It is left up to you to make decisions that can affect the country. If you don’t like the way Anguilla is run, and yet you don’t vote in elections or make your opinions heard, then it is you, not the government, that is at fault. You have only yourself to blame because you get the government you deserve.
Now is the time to read up on the issues, listen to the candidates or question them about the issues that concern you. It is the responsibility of every voter to become informed and exercise his/her franchise when the election date is given, because it is your voice, with the many others, in unison, that can change the direction of the nation, and even the world. When you mark that (X) bear in mind that you are executing one of the most solemn trusts in human society for which you are accountable to God and your country. Anguilla’s future is in your hands, my friends! Your vote could very likely make the difference.
Remember, YOUR VOTE could alter the course of Anguilla’s history. Therefore, Go out and Vote on Election Day!
About the Author: Mrs. Marilyn Hodge owns and operates the Wellness Centre in the Farrington, Anguilla. The Centre offers Counselling Services by Appointment Only. Contact information: 476-3517 or email: marilynb@anguillanet.com.
