Don't Be a Fool: Vote

The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the MSU Exponent, its editorial staff, advisers, or Montana State University.

In the 2024 presidential election, less than half of people aged 18-24 voted, according to data from the Census Bureau. Nearly 75 percent of voters aged 65 or older voted, which indicates that the youngest, healthiest, most internet-fluent generation opted out of the voting process. I often hear people my age cite reasons for not voting like distrust or disillusionment with the political system, not liking the candidates or not being involved with politics. 

Dale Carnegie once said, "any fool can criticize, condemn and complain, and most fools do.” Carnegie was right. I sympathize with many of the complaints of young people, but I will always, always vote and everyone else should too, or risk being one of the fools Carnegie warns us about.

When people refrain from voting and cite their issues with the system at large, the irony is too strong to ignore. Choosing not to vote based on the problematic nature of the government is not brave or unique; it is not the act of a revolutionary — rather the act of a coward. 

The nation, the government and the society we were born into are like an old house we all inherited. Built by generations long past, the structural issues — like plumbing and electricity — are either worryingly problematic or downright broken. Don’t forget that the fence is breaking down and our metaphorical roof has a few holes. We all agree there is one small room on the third floor, and it has the best heating and the best internet and the best views, and only a handful get to live in it. They enjoy their situation, as the house continues to break down around the rest of us. 

The voter is bold enough to lend a hand in the renovation, experienced or inexperienced as they might be. The problem they choose to address is irrelevant — the decision to address it rather than avoid it is admirable. They will no doubt make mistakes, but perhaps they will make a few fixes on their way. The non-voter is content to point out all of these problems as justifications for their idleness, as voters attempt to fix them. 

We all have that loser in our lives: The backseat driver, the useless member of the group project, the food critic who refuses to step foot in a kitchen — nobody likes that person and nobody wants to be them. 

To the voters who find themselves posed with the “shiniest of two turds” predicament, I want them to know they’re not alone. Politicians are famously slimy and you would be a different sort of fool to trust them implicitly. However, the policies they institute have undeniable effects on every aspect of every Americans’ life, and the decision not to vote relinquishes everyone’s opportunity to create a better world for themselves and future generations. 

To those that use excuses like they don’t know where, or when, or who to vote for, I have little sympathy. We live in the era of information, and you're allowed to research candidates while standing in a voting booth — nobody is there rushing you forward or confiscating phones. If you vote at home, you have even more time and opportunity to extend your research until you feel comfortable voting on it. Every person is given the freedom to access the largest database of information in history ever. How they choose to navigate it, and whether they choose to engage in the critical thinking necessary to muddle their way through, is their own prerogative. Every voter tries their best. Many voters choose not to vote in a few parts of their ballot, but engage with the ones they care about.

Don’t be a coward and blame your unwillingness to be part of a constructive process on something other than yourself. Our ancestors overthrew monarchies, utilized guillotines and died in droves to ensure your right to vote, and it is a remarkably easy process now compared to how it would have been in generations past. They fought for the ease that we have to vote. Don’t be foolish enough to abandon the tools that generations fought to provide you on the grounds that the house is broken. Revolutions and political violence will still be an option down the road, but we try to do this governing thing as bloodlessly as possible for everyone’s sake. 

As for those who don’t vote, I encourage them to move to a country without democracy. There is an abundance of countries operating under authoritarian, autocratic, single-party, absolute monarchy or theocratic systems — North Korea, Russia, Iran, Saudi Arabia and Afghanistan to name a few. In many of these countries, the election systems are designed to absorb civil liberties — freedom of speech and rights to privacy — out of the populace along with the right to vote. I encourage people who don’t want to vote to go somewhere that they don’t have to. Many of the rights we hold dear are the outcome of dedicated voters who rebuked a government that didn’t afford them the freedoms we take for granted today. 

Vote by November 3.