Now more than ever the people are responsible for the character of their Congress. If that body be ignorant, reckless, and corrupt, it is because the people tolerate ignorance, recklessness, and corruption. If it be intelligent, brave, and pure, it is because the people demand these high qualities to represent them in the national legislature. . . . [I]f the next centennial does not find us a great nation . . . it will be because those who represent the enterprise, the culture, and the morality of the nation do not aid in controlling the political forces.
[James A. Garfield, The Works of James Abram Garfield, Burke Hinsdale, editor (Boston: James R. Osgood and Company, 1883), Vol. II, pp. 486, 489, “A Century of Congress,” July, 1877.]
With the results of Super Tuesday arguably somewhat inconclusive, the significance of the Texas Primary Election March 4 grows ever larger.
Be prepared. Be knowledgeable. VOTE.
Don’t think your vote doesn’t count. One argument commonly made is that it makes little sense to vote because the odds of you or your neighbor casting the deciding vote in an election are miniscule. In recent state-wide elections, approximately 4.5 million votes were cast. The chances that the leading candidates would get exactly the same number of votes, out of so many cast, are very small.
But in local elections—for, lets say, school board—the odds of a single vote deciding the outcome go up significantly. Consequently, a small group of like-minded and determined voters (friends, family and neighbors) have a greater chance to affect the outcome.
But you know what…in any election, your vote counts. There are many times in history where a handful of votes had a significant impact:
In Florida, a state similar in size to Texas, the 2000 Presidential election came down to a difference of only 537 votes out of almost 6 million cast. In New Mexico, for that same race, the difference in votes for the two major-party candidates was only 366 votes.
A very close election further back in Texas history gave one of the state’s best known politicians, Lyndon B Johnson, a victory that was probably a critical step in his path to the WhiteHouse. In 1948, Johnson was elected to the Senate by a scant 87 votes…that’s why you might have heard him referred to as Landslide Lyndon.
But if everyone decides not to vote because no one believes an election will be close enough to be decided by any one vote, then one vote will indeed decide the election. If you don’t vote because you think it won’t matter and others who share your politcial preferences think that way, the candidates and policies you least prefer will most likely be victorious. Widespread belief that “my vote won’t make a difference” leads logically to circumstances in which one vote may make all the difference. Essentially, your vote NOT cast is a vote for the opposition.
Wherever you are in the argument about the value of one vote to turn any election, you may, like many of us, vote anyway. Some people are proud of the effort they put in to being informed and involved. Others vote out of a sense of duty or because of their belief in the value of democratic participation. They believe that there is something inherently good for the community and for themselves in participating in elections. Standing up and being counted—showing that you care about what happens in the political system—is one of the benefits of voting.
And for many, people vote in the belief that broad and sustained participation is critical for the legitimacy of a democratic system. Elections would not be democratic without their own and others’ participation.
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