9-10-13: You are Invited

As the days drew closer to my eighteenth birthday I could hardly wait. I was longing for the privileges that came with being an official adult. No, it was not being able to drink legally (which was the case in 1982) nor was it so I could enlist in the armed services. I awaited my 18^th birthday so I could vote.

 From the time I was a toddler, my mother would bring me in the voting booth with her. I, in fact, convinced her to vote for McGovern (there was just something about that Nixon guy I didn’t trust!) She continued to bring me in many, many years after it was cute – or perhaps even legally allowed.

I don’t understand the allure the voting process held for me. Perhaps it was the secrecy, or the power that each individual had in such an enormous, important process, or just that it was the purview of grown-ups. I just loved it and couldn’t wait until it was my time.

For those of you who know me, this nerdy confession should come as no surprise. Any illusions I had of being cool or hip (or whatever the cool, hip word for that is) were abandoned long ago as I continued to add more and more plaid to my wardrobe, root for the Mets, chuckle at the Big Bang Theory night after night and brag about my Scrabble wins.  But my love of the election process – although severely flawed—is being threatened from within and without.

The abolishment of the Voter’s Rights Act and the disturbing increase in voter requirements in certain states are certainly blatant examples of right wing factions trying to suppress the vote of disenfranchised groups including ethnic minorities and youth.  But what worries me even more is apathy – especially among younger potential voters.

Both my niece and nephew were eligible to vote in the most recent presidential election and neither did. My sadness and disappointment over this news was palpable.  When did the family zeal for the political process die and why? Of course, it wasn’t just my niece and nephew who didn’t make it to the polls. In 2012, only 50% of eligible young people voted. The good news is that’s up from a low of 37% in 1996, but it’s still disgraceful in my eyes.

Have our youth stopped believing that their vote makes a difference? Are they disillusioned with politics and politicians as a whole? Are they jaded from voting online for everything from the next American Idol to their favorite cat video? Could be all of them, I guess.

But the fact remains that despite the graft and corruption involved in our elections, our country is still governed by the democratic process – something that millions of people around the globe can only dream of.   And the only way we can fight corruption is by speaking up politically and attempting to vote out those who do not govern as we see fit.

Our voting privilege is a serious responsibility and like all responsibilities requires a bit of work. Last night I shushed my husband, stopped what I was doing so I could view the debates for New York City Public Advocate.  In many ways, I take local elections far more seriously than national ones. On a day to day basis, I feel that I am more affected by municipal laws and policies rather than federal ones.  I certainly notice the new bike lanes more than the effect of a new highway in South Dakota.  It’s one thing to show up at the polls but it’s another to make an informed vote.  That’s why I try to pay attention to debates and read as much as I can about the candidates.  I’m not saying it’s easy to get passed all the rhetoric and mud-slinging but it’s possible.  Browsing the candidate’s websites is usually a good place to start. Come on…you can spend an hour or so checking out their platforms, right? For more information on the upcoming election, where to vote or how to register in NYC please see:  NYC Board of Elections

If you don’t think it makes a difference than just compare the New York City of today to where we were 12 years ago. Good or bad, the changes have been enormous and much of them as a result of the present administration. From new construction, to healthy eating laws; from bike lanes to stop and frisk; from disaster preparedness and response to traffic – our lives are literally governed by the laws created by the men and women we put into office.

So please remember that Tuesday September 10^th is democratic primary day in New York City. You have ample time to listen and learn until then.  Perhaps I’ll see you there.

 P.S. If you think I’ve been pushy with you this is nothing. When I met my husband he had not voted in at least a dozen years. I told him this was a deal-breaker. I “guided” (read: dragged) him back to the polls where his first new vote was for Bernie Goetz as public advocate. When he revealed this to me later in the day, I rolled my eyes at his choice (the first of thousands of eye rolls in our relationship!) but was glad at least he made a choice.