An Apathetic Voter
This was supposed to be the big one. Four years of a new president. Voter turnout among young people was at an all time high, the candidates were taking notice of what we had to say. We were an influential force in the election at long last. Throughout it all the only thing I could think was: So what?
Even when the future of the country was on hand I still couldn’t bring myself to become extremely interested in what was happening globally. While two men gave speeches about the economy, I was using CNN and the stock tracking option on my phone to watch the little numbers change, and see graphs about the price of tea in China. While people read polls and interviews with the candidates, I stuck to my daily routine of blogs and webcomics. I played video games through speeches, and had fun with my friends through rallies. I was an apathetic voter.
It wasn’t that I didn’t care about the election or the future of the country. It was just that carpe diem seemed like such a better option. When the time came to vote, I’d do so. I’d have a look at the issues in the newspaper, evaluate which candidate I agreed with on said issues and then go out and vote. It’s not a bad plan. I just didn’t care about the process up till now. I’m sure that there were similar stances here on campus, and of course around the country.
In the end apathy doesn’t have to mean you don’t vote, instead it can just mean you don’t care about the research that the polls are spewing out minute by minute. Apathy has become a part of the voting process now, and working through it is the new challenge for candidates.
