Confessions of a Non-Voter

By: Sarah Tesorero
Posted In: Opinion

It’s that time again. I’m sure you’ve noticed while flipping through the channels, back and forth from MTV, BET, and your soap operas, that the inundation of the television networks by the ongoing political campaigns has begun. Maybe you’re like me, and as soon as you even see the names of “Kerry” or “Dean,” and even strange words like “caucuses,” you immediately flip by to get to the next music video or reality show.

Being a college student usually separates us from the rest of society, in a protective bubble almost, not yet being immersed in the “real world,” but many times maintaining a considerable degree of freedom in comparison to our childhood.

We’ve been lucky enough to be blessed with the opportunity of receiving a higher education, and it can be presumed that many of us have been caught up in the lifestyle that goes along with that opportunity.

Yes, we’ve applied and received the student loans, financial aid, grants, and scholarships that plague our months of February and March. We buy the books, go to the classes, sit through the lectures, write the papers, and work in a way we’ve never worked before. But then again, we go out from Thursday through Sunday, we drink underage, we use fake ids, we depend on instant messaging services and cell phones, we download music illegally, and we live each weekend of our four years of college like it will be our last.

The ability to get so caught up in the 20-something culture is our luxury, and we embrace it to the fullest extent. But in all reality, what are we giving back?

Our country has provided us with the freedom and ability to choose our own paths of life, and the only reason it can do that is because of the dedication of past Americans who made a point to establish a government where the power lies within it’s people. We’ve heard it time and again – our generation is the future of the world.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau in July of 2002, there were an estimated 28,341,732 people in the United States between the ages of 18 and 24, the general age span of students enrolled in colleges or universities. The large majority of these students are not even registered to vote, and if they are, they do not participate in the elections.

Here we are, the future of our country, holding a torch that could help illuminate the way for our country’s destiny, and we refuse to light it.

Why wouldn’t a group as large and powerful as ours want to rush out and make a difference? There are too many excuses so readily available. We’ve become accustomed to our comfortable lifestyle, too caught up in the pettiness of things in our every day life to understand the possible effect we could have on society. We’ve become jaded and cynical, untrustworthy of politicians, and skeptical that our one vote can make a difference.

Sadly to admit, I, too, have allowed myself to become one of the many faceless, unregistered voters that make up our age span. Being away at school, I’ve never taken the time to register, or file for an absentee ballot. These ideas never even really crossed my mind, always replaced by something that seems more immediate and important.

I’ve always refrained from paying attention to the seemingly redundant campaigns, and made myself numb to the issues at hand. But now it’s come to a point where I can no longer ignore the impact society has on my life, nor the impact I can make on society.

It was my brother that was sent to Kuwait when our country went to war with Iraq, my friends who were sent to South Korea and Afghanistan. It is my sister who is being denied the right to marry her girlfriend, or even retain the legal recognition as her spouse. It is my other sister who was unable to find a job after graduation because of the poor economy and lack of employment opportunities. And it’s going to be me struggling to repay my student loans while trying to get my Masters degree in order to get an edge on the job market. My future husband and I stressing over health insurance and 401K plans while our children are overlooked in over-crowded, inadequate public school systems. These are the issues right around the corner that will be affecting all of us before we even realize it.

The responsibility we have as voters does not only affect the world around us, but even more so effects the outcome of our own lives. Although we may try to avoid the happenings of society around us when we’re in our college bubble, our country has recognized the fact that we are a force to be reckoned with if we only asserted our power. Through new programs and campaigns, our society is urging us to embrace our political rights and freedoms, trying relentlessly to open our eyes to the issues confronting us.

Campaign information and voter encouragement is being brought to us through the media outlets we control. Programs like MTV’s “Rock the Vote” are infiltrating our bubble, using icons like Jay-Z and P. Diddy to spread the knowledge and make it accessible and appealing. Websites such as www.rockthevote.org, www.election.com, and www.youthevote.com are bringing the registration process to our fingertips over the Internet, providing absentee ballot information and calendars including all necessary deadlines.

The vast and continuing efforts that have been put forth to make us aware about elections only signify the importance of each and every individual’s vote, and the authority we possess as a group. The world is waiting for our reaction… will you give them an answer?

The upcoming general election is scheduled for November 7, 2004, and the deadlines for the state of Rhode Island are as follows:

Deadline to fill out registration form online: Sept. 25

States’ registration deadline: postmarked by Oct. 9

Deadline to fill out absentee ballot online: Oct. 3

Deadline for absentee ballot to be received: postmarked by Oct. 17

Further information is available at any of the websites mentioned above, or your particular state’s government website.