How to Vote All Year Round
The year 2020 has taught us more than we were ready to learn. So, now we are getting an accelerated degree in life with minors in homeschooling, managing a dining-room office, maintaining healthy family relations, demystifying daily news, cooking from scratch, eating at home, overseeing zoom birthday parties, and using grandma’s sewing machine to make face masks to share with neighbors no matter their political position.
We are also becoming deeply aware that our opinions matter. According to data collected by the University of Florida, the 2020 presidential election will have the highest turnout since 1908. Many Americans are using their right to vote weeks before Election Day to make sure that their voices are heard.
Voting is consequential to express our desires. This year, each vote is pivotal to what the future holds for United States citizens and our international relationships’ health and prosperity. Presidential elections occur every four years and every two years for the Senate and the House of Representatives. However, voting is not the only way to speak up, make a difference, and achieve the changes we wish to see. We use our voices every day, with every decision we make and every action we take. In the long run, our actions speak louder and reach farther than our words do. What we do each day has a significant impact on our future and that of our children. Our deeds serve as examples to others and have the power to convince those who are seeking guidance.
Like our ballot choices, we make decisions as soon as we get up in the morning; we choose the brand for our first cup of coffee, our news-media outlet, workout options, and the grocery store in which we shop. If we do only one of these things each day, we use our voices 365 times a year! Many of us earn money through hard work, and how we spend it means more than just getting what we need. We vote each time we open our wallets; we say yes or no to healthy food, better health-care, clean air, reducing poverty, better education, and fairness for all. Each time we spend money, we support businesses, organizations, and institutions that care about our opinions. The American economic system works well for the most part as long as each of us takes responsibility for whom we support, and what we care about as individuals and as a nation.
Here are some examples of choices we make that affect our lives, the world, our belief systems, and someone’s business bank account.
1. Internet
It is hard to imagine life without Google, YouTube, or social media. These are great tools to learn, research, and connect. However, anytime we use a research engine, watch a video, or follow a public personality, we say yes or no to what they represent and how they influence our way of life.
2. Grocery
When we buy fresh, organic, and local foods, shop at farmer’s markets, family-owned shops, local bakeries, and butcher shops that source humanely raised animals, we vote yes to healthier food, cleaner air, a sustainable food supply, and no to Monsanto, factory farms, and government subsidies designed to benefit large corporations.
3. Media
Many Americans get their daily updates from various media sources, of which many are privately owned. According to Forbes Magazine, 15 of the top businesses own most American news outlets, besides a few non-profit organizations such as NPR, CPR, or PBS. When we choose a TV channel, radio station, or newspaper, we knowingly or unknowingly vote yes to the business philosophy and the owner’s agenda.
4. Self-care
Our lifestyle has a significant impact on our health and wellbeing, and prevention is less expensive (and more effective) than the cure. Eating well, being physically active, creating time for self-care, and allocating money for a regular massage or another form of therapy, means voting yes to staying healthy, aging well, remaining independent, and no to giant pharmaceutical companies, for-profit medical care, and straining the national economy.
5. Purchases
From cars to baby toys, our purchases’ prices matter either locally or thousands of miles away, as do companies’ policies, ethics, and how they treat their employees. When we support local, fair-trade, and environmentally conscious enterprises, we vote yes to a smaller carbon footprint, better product quality, and less poverty in the world.
6. Employment
We all have to make a living to pay our bills. But sometimes, we can choose organizations that support our philosophy and make the world a better place. Also, now and then, the opportunity arises when we can influence our employer’s position or find another job that says no to discrimination, unethical practices, and to causing adverse environmental effects.
7. Investments
Saving and investing are necessary to take care of our financial future, and one way is to buy stocks and bonds. While monetary value drives most investors to make purchases, learning about a company’s philosophy and ethics might be the best investment in the long run. Buying into a company that supports our ideas says yes to a sustainable future, a sense of satisfaction, and getting monetary benefits aligned with our values.
8. Contributing
The only way to true happiness and prosperity is through being generous and helping others. Many of us have resources (time, money, food) to help others by donating to charitable organizations, volunteering, fundraising, and offering our expertise and services to the community. When we share what we have, we vote yes to a better world for us, our children, and those who are less fortunate.
9. Getting involved
We often demand change, but we want others to make it happen. Yet, we like to complain that people in charge don’t do what we expect them to do. Not everyone has a leader’s appeal. Still, everyone can support and keep them accountable. Getting involved in civic organizations, volunteering for local committees, and attending town hall meetings means voting yes to improving our lives individually and society in general.
These challenging times require us to take an inventory of how we live our lives and make our choices. We have the responsibility to our families, neighbors, all Americans, and to the rest of the world.
Whatever the outcome of this year’s election, we must continue raising our voices and taking action. Let’s not miss the opportunity to use our power on Election Day, the next day, and every day. Each of us has a voice, and every vote matters, but we need to use them wisely.
Resources:
https://www.cdc.gov/chronicdisease/about/costs/index.htm
https://transition.fcc.gov/osp/inc-report/INoC-31-Nonprofit-Media.pdf
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