by Anna Johns, Reporter

Photo courtesy of pexels.com

This presidential election has been historic. It has consumed our nation, our culture, and our lives. As it comes to a close, we need to realize how important our voices can be. It is important to remember that we have not always been given this right.

It may seem like your voice doesn’t matter but it does. For democracy to function we need to have participants, not observers. According to Cosmopolitan, in the 2016 election 46.9% of people didn’t vote and young people have the lowest turnout. Young voters are a powerful political force and make up almost half of the voting population. As a young voter myself, I realize that the issues facing our nation now may affect our lives in the future. 

Every vote does matter. For example, look at the Democratic primary for Baltimore County executive in July of 2018. It was decided by just 17 votes. And, back in 2016 one of New Mexico’s state House seats was decided by two votes out of almost 14,000. When they say every vote counts they mean it. This year the election was close and kept everyone on their toes.

Though Joe Biden is definitely not my first choice as president, I certainly choose him over our current president. Over the past four years I have realized that our country needs help. When voting in this election I voted not just for myself, but also for others. I understand that because of my skin color I was born privileged. While this certainly does not mean I have a perfect life or guarantee me success, it does give me a head start. When voting I took into consideration issues I care about such as reducing student loan debt, protecting abortion rights, support for immigration and the black community, and moving our country forwards. 

I believe it is important for everyone to be informed on political issues and be an educated voter. We must remember that we haven’t always had this right and citizens in other countries are still fighting for it. 

In the end, I am very pleased with the outcome of this election. I hope that our new President Joe Biden will take this country in the right direction. I encourage everyone to remember to use their voice and make their voice heard. Remember, if you don’t vote for your own interests, who will?