This
week's article by Jeff Ignatius, "Rock the Vote
Boat," underscores the enormous weight of each
American's vote. Ignatius concludes with a quote from The
Broken Branch: "Citizens
at the polls are the most powerful agents of change."
Thus begins my traditional election-time mantra: Get out and vote! Do it because (1) it's your civic duty as an American; (2) it's your constitutional right and privilege as an American; or how about (3) because it's the last thing the politicians want you to do. There's a reason for this.
The two major political parties, Democrats and Republicans, make it their political mission to encourage voters to stay home. Historical poll data clearly shows a consistent percentage of voters who cast ballots in every election. Sadly this percentage is less than half of all eligible voters, which means that the majority of voters consistently don't vote. And that is the percentage political strategists work the hardest to maintain.