Essay: Why My Vote Matters

“Why does my vote matter” is a question commonly asked every time we approach Election Day. In 2016, forty percent of the eligible voters in the United States did not show up to the polls on November 8th, because they believe that their vote does not matter. Little do they know that every single vote matters and one vote can make a very big difference.
In the presidential election of 1960, John F. Kennedy won the election against Richard Nixon. About sixty percent of the United States population showed up to the polls meaning 72 million people did not vote that November. John F. Kennedy won the popular vote by 112,809 votes. This was the closest presidential election in the history of the United States. If the 72 million people that did not vote that day, went to the polls, the history of the United States could have been changed in very drastic ways. That is not a lot of people if you compare that number to the population of the US at the time.
Your vote is your voice in the nation. You can vote for what you want in your government. Voting lets you find people similar to you and you get to pick someone who has similar views to you to be in charge of our nation. Voting gives you the opportunity to control what goes on in your national government, your state government, and your local government. Every year local and state government host elections that allow you to pick who is in charge of the factors in your everyday life. On Election Day you also have the opportunity to vote on bills that most directly impact your everyday life.
As a citizen of the United States of America we are given the right to vote. The right to vote is a great thing that not every human has the right to. As an American we are blessed because in other countries the people cannot control any part of their government. They have to follow orders and stick with that they have. In the United States we have the opportunity to change what we don’t like and to make what we have better. Many years ago, only a white male over the age of twenty one could vote for the leaders of our nation. Now all citizens who register to vote can pick the people they want in charge of the country. The United States of America gives its citizens many opportunities that other countries cannot offer.
In 2020 I plan on voting for the next president of the United States. I want my voice to be heard. If I do not vote I might lose my right to vote because someone who thinks democracy is ruining the country might become the leader of our nation. Democracy is very important to the structure of the country. Democracy promotes equality among the citizens by giving everyone the chance to determine the laws. Also, democracy provides a method to resolve conflicts and allows an opportunity to correct mistakes that might have been made. It is very important that everyone takes part in voting because voting is what makes change. Your voice is your vote and your vote really does matter. I want to see this country change for the better and that will not happen unless we get up and vote.