Why Vote?

For a long time, I firmly held the belief that my vote, or anyone’s single vote doesn’t really make a difference in who ultimately gets elected to office in this country. I applied this logic as the basis for not voting for many years. I used this logic as a rationale that made me feel better for not only voting, but also for not get involved in politics at all.

While I think the integrity of the popular vote is still something that should be challenged, I’ve learned expressly through the recent climate of this country, that there definitely is a greater need for us all to be informed on political matters and the policies currently in place. In the effort of searching this information, you never know… you might even allow yourself to be inspired.

Still not as versed as I would like to be, I am inspired by Jessica Ramos and the campaign she is running for the State Senate’s 13th district.

Ramos is a progressive Democrat born and raised in Queens from immigrant parents, and is focusing on fighting for working families, advocating for labor and organizing her local community. These are some of the reasons why she gets my vote today.

There are also a bunch of other offices to be decided on before today’s end, most notably the Governor of New York state. So, If you have yet to decide whether to vote or not, at least think about reading up on the folks that will potentially make a huge difference in how you live.

You may surprise yourself and get inspired.

Photo and words by Adolfo Steve Vazquez