Published 2012-10-29T10:53:00Z”/>
Dani Anguiano
Your vote is worthless unless you educate yourself first.
Despite the numerous campaigns every four years that tell the public its only responsibility is to vote, the electoral process is greater than that.
One cannot simply stop by the polls and fill out a ballot.
Voters have a responsibility to educate themselves beyond the mud-slinging of campaign advertisements. Still, this responsibility does not mean we only learn about those we agree with. We have to do more.
Most people have made up their red and blue minds when it comes to the presidential election. Consider this: Instead of drawing a line down the D’s and R’s on your ballot, educate yourself about all of the candidates.
Too often, we select candidates simply because they subscribe to a similar set of beliefs as our own without even bothering to look at other parties’ candidates. By limiting ourselves to one party, we greatly reduce our chance of expanding our political beliefs and continue to sustain a two-party system.
While it is tempting to vote for candidates simply because their ideology mirrors our own, by looking at the candidates of another party, we might find more in common than we would think.
Although I am a registered Democrat, I researched candidates during the Republican presidential primary in order to see if there was a candidate I would be interested in voting for. I found that not all of the candidates were socially conservative, and there were some I liked and thought were capable politicians.
The same goes for positions in the California Legislature and Congress.
Although many may have already decided whom they are voting for, most probably haven’t thought as much about what they are voting for.
Those who think their vote does not count in the presidential election can find more value in their vote at the state and local levels.
There are 11 California propositions on the ballot. Winging it at the polls is not good enough, and it is damaging to our democratic process.
Don’t let a bumper sticker or commercial decide how you vote. Educate yourself about the propositions because it is your vote.
There are signs all around campus encouraging voters to vote yes on Proposition 30. Just because someone tells you voting no will be harmful to students does not mean you shouldn’t read the fine print and find out for yourself.
Beyond statewide elections, there are also local elections. Students registered to vote in Chico can vote for City Council members who will look out for student interests. By educating ourselves, we ensure our vote really counts.
The purpose of a democratic government is the involvement of the people. Although making the effort to research various candidates and propositions is time-consuming and not necessarily easy, it is required as a part of a democratic government.
Voting is not like homework. It doesn’t need to be done every day. Voting is that project your grade depends on. It comes up every now and then and requires effort.
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<strong>Dani Anguiano can be reached at</strong> <a href=”mailto:[email protected]”><em>[email protected]</em></a>
