Election Day - Part 1

Another election day has come and gone (on the East Coast at least).  College kids are notoriously bad about turning out to vote, and although the 2008 Presidential Election was a record-breaking year for young voter turnout, mid-term elections are rarely attended well by people under 30 years old.

I heard plenty of excuses from my peers about why they would not be voting in today's election from "I don't know anything about the candidates" to "I just don't care because the whole system is bull s***", but neither one of those excuses are really viable.

Sure, thirty years ago you may have had to pay close attention to the news or paper to glean enough information to make an informed decision about your local representatives, but today it only takes a couple of quick Google searches to know where the candidates stand on the major issues, read about any controversies surrounding them, and find out who endorses them.  I realize that college students are busy, and that political issues don't usually make it into casual conversation at the bar, but taking an hour to read about your state's potential leaders is not hard to do, and it could make a huge difference on your life.  Most in-state students at UT receive a substantial scholarship from the state lottery every year, so don't assume that state politics doesn't do anything for you.

Now, to those who think that the whole system is unfair or that their vote couldn't possibly matter...I guess I'll just use a quick Kantian-style argument:  What if everyone thought that way?  I guess we wouldn't even have elections and we'd be thrown into anarchy.  I'll admit that the system favors candidates who are more well-connected and have a stronger economic and educational background, but if more young people took the time and effort to vote, their vote would matter, so don't be part of the problem; be the solution.