What matters to you?

 

Did you know that only four percent of American voters over 50 believe climate change is the most important issue in this election? I’m appalled. I believe it’s the most crucial issue for all of us, and it continues to worsen. I’m voting for people who will take action on the environment.

The issue of most concern to older voters, according to a July AARP survey, was inflation (16%). Inflation is temporary, while climate change is a continuous, unrelenting threat. I expect younger people feel more concern about our environment, since they’re the ones who have to live with consequences like rising temperatures, decreasing wildlife, and increasing catastrophic storms.

Back to the survey. The economy was the second-highest concern among older voters (15%), while abortion and immigration were tied for third at 10%. Incidentally, this survey was taken after the Supreme Court overturned Roe vs. Wade. Again, we’re talking older people. Not too many of us are getting pregnant.

No matter what your concerns are, whatever your age, your vote is crucial!

Midterm elections tend to draw fewer voters than presidential ones, but we need to change that. We need to elect representatives who support our values. Their convictions become legislation, and our votes are the best vehicle to accomplish that legislation.

Since 1978, midterm voter turnout has ranged between a low of 41.9% (2014) and a high of 53.4% (2018). Not impressive. Women are more likely to vote than men, but only by a few percentage points.

We Minnesotans can be proud that we ranked first in the country in 2018, with 64.5% of us voting, and we in Cook County have real bragging rights. Our county had the highest voter turnout in the state, at 76.3%.

Let’s do better this time.

It infuriates me that financial contributions seem more important than votes. I can’t count how many times I’ve been asked for money to support my candidates. All those flyers in my mailbox are clear indicators that fortunes are being spent, when those dollars could be better employed helping people in need. Thank goodness we don’t have network television at our house; I’ve only had to endure a handful of political ads, mostly mudraking—making the other candidate look bad. I shake my head.

Would our elections be different if everyone was required to vote? Six countries have mandatory voting: Australia, Belgium, Luxembourg, Greece, Mexico, and Turkey; however, only Australia, Belgium, and Luxembourg enforce that law.

Mandatory voting would never work in this country, though. We’re too caught up in our individual rights. Our right not to vote. Our right to sit by and let the other guys win. It’s crazy.

According to the Dalai Lama, a man of great wisdom, “If you think you’re too small to make a difference, you’ve never spent the night with a mosquito.”

SO VOTE.