My congregation – and maybe you – are probably tired of me saying this, but I will anyway – Vote. Every Sunday before Election Day, I tell the gathered worshippers that it is their duty to vote, and if they don’t, they should move to China and trade places with someone who wants to practice democracy. I get a couple of chuckles and a few groans, but I can live with that. Voting is a right that too many Americans take lightly; it is also a rite of adulthood that allows us to be heard. It isn’t given to us by God and God doesn’t decide who our leaders will be, regardless of what Romans 13 says. In fact, if God was truly in charge, there would be no need to vote. Voting is one way to try to make things right; it is our process that allows us to move things in what each of us believes is a better direction. For me, voting allows me to consider which candidates will do what’s best for all of us, not just me. Voting is a gift – an honor – a responsibility.
In some countries, citizens don’t have the right to not vote. In other countries, they can’t vote at all, or if they do, it’s a sham. And regardless of what some fringe people say, there isn’t an epidemic of illegal voting; the numbers prove it every time the allegation is made. Should everyone have ID to vote? If it doesn’t turn into a kind of toll tax, sure. Should non-citizens vote? Never – it is a privilege of being an American. Should Election Day be a national holiday? Absolutely – but I don’t think you should get paid if you don’t vote. All my opinions; none of them really matter. I will stand in line for hours to make sure I have my say, which is a privilege; not everyone can get that much time off, which is, to me, very wrong. I will never tell anyone who to vote for, nor will I tell you my vote. Mind yer business!
I have only missed one vote since I was 18. I was in college in Ohio and the State of New York didn’t get my ballot to me in time. I was furious, but I had no power to change it that year. The next year, I had my parents call the election board every week to guarantee to me that my ballot was on its way. Excessive? Sure – but I had seen what not voting had done to our country in the past, and I wanted to make sure I could say that I had done my part to make things better. Every vote matters. I always hope that the candidates I vote for win; they don’t always, but enough to remind me how important every election and every vote is. You matter – your vote matters. Vote. Today.
Prayer – Holy God, we are grateful to live in a country where each one of us matters. Amen.
Today’s art is a montage of presidential campaign posters from the Library of Congress.