Yesterday, I had a brief conversation with a friend in which she shared that she is considering not voting in the upcoming election.  Although I choose to vote in all elections in which I am eligible to vote, I do understand some of the reasons people decide not to vote (for example: frustration with the electoral system, the fact that politicians and election boards deliberately disenfranchise voters, the lack of candidates who represent their views, the desire to eliminate government).

What I started thinking about is that such a big deal is made of voting, especially when it is a presidential election.  (Many people only vote in presidential elections and never vote between whether it is a congressional, state, county, local, or school board election.  The non-presidential elections are those in which each person’s vote actually counts because the Electoral College is not used.)  My concern is that many people feel that after voting they have fulfilled their civic duty and they go back to their lives.  The problem is… their lives do not include working to make this a better world.  Whether you vote or not, do something…community organizing, protesting, direct action, community service, bearing witness as an independent journalist…the list goes on; there are many options. In fact, there are many people who cannot vote who make a difference in their communities such as youth who are under 18 and folks who are not citizens (whether they are documented or not).

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