A citizen’s dilemma
I have been struggling with something lately. I am debating whether I should vote. I would ideally like to vote in Minnesota, but I changed my official residence to Maryland. I could try to falsely change it back, but you need to have been a resident of the state for 6 months prior to the election in order to vote. (I would feel comfortable voting in Minnesota, despite the fact that I do not live and probably won’t for the foreseeable future, simply because it is home and very likely my ultimate destination. I therefore feel like I have a vested interest in its politics).
My problem with voting in Maryland is that I do not know if I will be living here past November. The election is an opportunity for the people of Maryland to decide how they want to be represented. If I am not going to live here for the entireity of the term, I do not think it is appropriate for me to take part in that discussion.
That leaves me with the option of not voting. First off, 2010 is an especially momentous year. The country is engaged in an existential debate over the role of government, and it will likely establish a political framework we will be working in for 10, if not 20, years. The idea that I would have to look back and admit that I did not take part in that discussion is unsettling. Second, and more importantly, not voting is morally reprehensible and the antithesis of every value I hold dear. Thousands have shed blood from Concord to Seneca Falls to Cicero to Kabul to protect and promote the right to vote. There are millions who, to this day, do not enjoy the right to vote in free and transparent elections. Even in this country, come November, thousands of citizens will be disenfranchised by faulty voting machines and misinformation about voting eligibility. My right to vote has always been a foregone conclusion. To have that right and not enjoy it seems wrong.
Any ideas on what I should do?…..
