Millennium Magazine_5th Ed

VOTE! 1. IT DOES NOT TAKE LONG TO VOTE. The time it takes to vote is probably one of the main reasons people will forego voting. In reality, according to the Government Accountability Office, one of the biggest waiting times to vote in 2012 happened in Florida, where citizens waited approximately 35 minutes. Other states would take less than 20 minutes. Nonetheless, even if you do need to wait half an hour to vote, is that so long that you cannot afford it? Is that too long when it will decide the future of your country? 2. VOTING IS A RIGHT MANY PEOPLE FOUGHT AND DIED TO ACHIEVE. If you are a woman, you should familiarize yourself with the women's suffrage movement. In the late 19th century, women in Europe began fighting for the right to vote. In America, women only gained the right to vote in 1920. Demonstrating tenacity in the face of oppression, these women gave everything they had to guarantee your rights today. If you're African American, you should know about the Voting Rights Act of 1965, part of the Civil Rights movement, where many black men and women fought and died to provide equal rights regardless of race. In light of these factors, you should honor their sacrifices and do what so many others that came before you could not. 3. VOTING IS THE ONLYWAY FOR DEMOCRACY TO WORK. If you do not vote, you are not contributing to your country's democracy. The word “democracy” comes from the Greek demokratía, translated to “rule by the people.” You are the one who gets to choose who will speak for you, and you are the one who gets to choose why someone deserves to rule more than another. Hailing from ancient Greece, the concept of a democracy is something that should not be taken for granted. 4. VOTING IS AMONG THE MOST IMPORTANT WAYS FOR YOUR VOICE TO BE HEARD. In the end, it is as simple as that. If you do not vote, you cannot complain about the results of the election later. By not voting, you are giving up on your right to decide what you believe is best for you, everyone you care about and society as a whole. By not voting, you demonstrate apathy with what happens with your country in the future. Deciding whether or not to vote will always be your choice. However, remember that the right to vote is only possible in the first place because of everyone who came before you and fought diligently to give you the power of having a choice. Do not waste their sacrifices. Do not waste your chance to make yourself heard. 341 Millennium - A Marquis Who’s Who Magazine