According to the United States Election Project, an average of 59.7 percent of eligible voters voted in the 2016 presidential election. That’s not bad compared to previous statistics, but ideally that number would be much closer to 100 percent.

Now, I don’t know why that remaining 40.3 percent chose not to vote, but I do know a huge issue many people faced in 2016 wasn’t the usual dilemma of picking who to vote for. Rather, it was choosing whether or not they should vote at all.

If I had a dollar for every time that I had heard someone say “I’m not going to vote this year, I don’t like either of the candidates,” I could probably buy all my textbooks instead of renting used. A lot of people didn’t like either candidate in 2016. A 2016 Roper Center survey found that Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton were both the most disliked presidential candidates by Americans in over 30 years.

2020 is coming whether we like it or not, and with an unpopular Republican incumbent and an intense competition for the Democratic nomination, I’m genuinely terrified that a voting travesty will repeat itself in 2020. I’m afraid people won’t vote because they end up disliking their options.

I get that no one wants to cast a vote that they feel violates their principles, especially when voting is often a decision we make with our hearts as much as our minds. It’s an understandable conclusion — it’s just not a good one.

Voting isn’t just a right. It’s a privilege and a responsibility. Even within the U.S., there are people who aren’t eligible to vote. So it’s our obligation to exercise our right to vote to our utmost ability — even when you feel like voting might be in contrast to your ideals. Because when you cast a vote, you’re not just taking a stand for your principles, you’re also taking a stand for the millions of Americans that government policies directly affect.

Additionally, you’re not actually making a statement by not voting. It’s the opposite. You don’t make any difference by not voting. You just end up becoming part of the 40.3 percent. Abstaining isn’t subversive or revolutionary.

I know Hamilton students tend to be politically outspoken and that most of us plan on voting in 2020. This message is for those who have become disillusioned with the power of their vote or who are dead-set on one particular candidate for the Democratic nomination. Your vote matters, and even if you’re not the biggest fan of the final candidate, please — for the love of God — vote anyway.

I can’t force anyone to do anything. Whether or not you choose to vote is within your rights as an eligible voter. Just remember that when you vote, you’re not just voting for yourself or your ideals: you’re voting for everyone else in this country, too.

Sincerely,

Amanda Kim ’21

Managing Editor