Susan Kandt: Make yourself heard by voting

Another election is upon us. Well, it’s a year away, but in modern America, that means right now. And as with every election cycle, I find myself hoping things will change.

What needs to change is very simple: voter turnout. In 2012, 58.6 percent of eligible American voters (not just those registered) actually voted. In the 2014 midterm election, a mere 36.6 percent of the eligible population bothered to vote, the lowest turnout in 72 years. In Kansas, the 2014 turnout was 43.4 percent of the voting-eligible population – still less than half of the people eligible to vote.

What the public does not seem to understand is that midterm elections are every bit as important as general elections. It’s all well and good to vote for the man or woman you want for president, but if you don’t vote in the election for congressional seats, you’re effectively cutting off all support that president needs to get things accomplished.

I’ve voted in every single election since I was of age to do so. I’ve gone to the polls in stormy weather, I’ve gone to the polls on crutches, I’ve gone when I was ill, and I’ve gone when I was convinced the people I was voting for didn’t stand a chance of winning. Imagine how results might change in this country if every eligible voter did the same – in every election.

I know there are forces out there at work to discourage you from voting. They do this because they’re afraid of your vote. And when you fail to vote, you’re empowering those people to determine who gets into office and makes the decisions that affect your daily life.

Don’t play their game. Spend the time it takes to get yourself eligible to register to vote, then register. If you have questions about how to do that or where your polling place is, call your county elections office. In Sedgwick County, that number is 316-660-7100. Then on Election Day – every Election Day – get yourself up, out and to the polls to make yourself heard.

I often encounter people who say they don’t vote because it won’t make any difference. But consider this: The only thing that can effect change is enough people demanding it.

This story was originally published October 14, 2015 at 7:02 PM with the headline "Susan Kandt: Make yourself heard by voting."