By: Morgan Spivey ’14
Staff Writer

On Oct. 16, I was able to exercise my right to vote for the first time! I will never forget the excitement I had while signing my name, entering the booth, and casting my vote. It was an irreplaceable moment and I am extremely grateful I was able to have it. Not only was it very exciting, but I know that I am making a difference in our country.

The youth vote is more sought after than most people think, as we form a major voting bloc. But how can politicians accurately measure what programs we need or want without our own input and support? They cannot, and we should not complain if we are not participating.

So why would someone not want to vote? Some people do not think they are politically savvy enough, that their vote “doesn’t matter”, or it’s “too hard” to get all the facts together at this busy time in our lives. But despite popular belief, every vote counts no matter the stakes. Your vote could be the one that chooses the movie to watch with your friends, where to go out to eat, or even who your next governor will be!

Registering to vote is not hard. Nowadays, you can register in a number of places, including the internet. All you have to do is answer a few standard questions about yourself and send it in, and the government even pays for our 49-cernt postage stamp. Being at boarding school and going off to college soon may get in the way, but there is always a way to vote. There is an absentee ballot that can be mailed to boarding students before an election. I applied for an absentee ballot when I was home, and I just mailed it in to vote in the upcoming gubernatorial election. It took me only two minutes to fill in the bubbles and walk it over to the mail hut.

Lastly, for many years numerous groups of people such as women and African-Americans had to fight for suffrage. Through their ceaseless efforts, we get the right to vote. We should appreciating voting even more because not only do we have the right to vote, but because there are still countless people around the world who are barred from voting because of race, gender, or other reasons. Voting shapes society and is a privilege and right that should not be wasted.