The 15th Amendment to the United States Constitution states that “The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude– The Congress shall have the power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation” (Amendment XV; Section 1-2, of the Constitution of the United States of America).
Why have I decided to vote? My first reason is because I believe in the U.S. Constitution. I realize that the state of Idaho is generally a Republican state, and that many people, especially the college age generation of today, think that exercising their right to vote in the state of Idaho seems pointless. But I do not believe it is pointless, regardless of which party you decide to vote for.
According to Census.gov the likelihood that an individual will actually vote once registered has been high, and 2008 was no exception. Of all registered individuals, 90 percent reported voting, up slightly from 89 percent in the 2004 presidential election. I believe these statistics prove that voting is very important. Could you imagine what our country would be like if no one exercised their right to vote? Could you imagine if we didn’t have the right to vote? That’s exactly my point. I choose to vote because it’s my right.
On May 19, 1919 during the first session of the Sixty-Sixth Congress of the Unites States of America a joint resolution of Congress proposing a constitutional amendment extending the right of suffrage to women was signed. The resolution was passed by Congress on June 4, 1919, and ratified on August 18, 1920.
According to the 1795-1992; General Records of the United States Government; Record Group 11; National Archives the 19th amendment guarantees all American women the right to vote. Achieving this milestone required a lengthy and difficult struggle; victory took decades of agitation and protest. Beginning in the mid-19th century, several generations of woman suffrage supporters lectured, wrote, marched, lobbied, and practiced civil disobedience to achieve what many Americans considered a radical change of the Constitution. Few early supporters lived to see final victory in 1920.
Why should you vote this year? If you’re like me, you may not like either of the candidates for this year’s presidential election; however, that’s not going to keep me from voting. Are you sitting on the fence like Humpty Dumpty? My advice to you is to make a decision, not necessarily who to vote for as much as just vote. If the U.S. can increase the number of voters and percentage of registered voters who actually vote this year, I believe it will have an impact on this year’s election.
Why have I decided to vote? I am voting because if I was to sit on the fence like many Americans do, preventing me from making a decision, I would probably just not vote. But unlike Humpty Dumpty, I don’t want to have a great fall. I choose to vote because I believe our country can slowly, but surely turn things around if more people stopped sitting on the wall and made their voices heard.
Opinions expressed in editorial and opinion articles are the views of individual NIC students. These views do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the Sentinel, North Idaho College, or any other organizations or groups there-in. North Idaho College is not responsible for the accuracy of statements or opinions shared.
