Introduction
On February 19th 2021, the citizens of the Turks and Caicos Islands will be going to the poll to select a government for the next four years. However, many individuals are frustrated with the politicians and the political process to a point that they do see the need to vote. On the other hand, there are many individuals who look forward to the general election and cannot wait to cast their vote. The question still remains though should you vote or not?
Why some people do not vote?
Some people do not think it is worth standing in a long queue to cast a vote. They feel that they are wasting their time as they do not know see any empowerment or uplifting of individuals. They feel that the politicians are the main ones benefiting.
There are some people who have tried both political parties and they all appear to be the same and so they do not see the point in voting.
Promises are made during the campaign and as soon as the Government wins, it appears that they forgot the promises they made and as a result this becomes a turnoff and a discouragement for the electorate and so they refuse to vote.
Some people know that the party or individuals they supported did not perform but rather than voting against them, they rather stay home and so they do not vote.
Some people also do not vote because they are not pleased with some of the candidates that have presented themselves to run.
Why you should vote?
I must confess that I fell into one of the aforementioned reasons why some people do not vote categories and so I had no attention of voting in this upcoming election and future elections. However, over the last couple of months, my mindset changed and I have decided that I shall exercise my right to vote.
You see some people in other countries do not have the privilege that we have in deciding a Government to run the affairs of the country. We should not take this privilege for granted. I believe your vote in this upcoming election should be based on the performance of the Government.
If you do not vote, you may not get the change that you want. In the most recent general election in the USA, the voter turnout was one of the highest ever and as a result, Joe Biden became the President. If the Americans did not come out in large numbers, more than likely, President Donald Trump would have remain the President.
You should vote because it is your vote that will determine who will run the Country for the next four years. If you remain home, then the leaders of our country will be decided by a few people which may not be real representation or desires of the majority of people. However, if you stay home, then you will get what you deserve and our country may get a Government that we do not deserve.
I believe some people have many regrets for not voting in the last year election. Well if you do not want any more regrets, then vote in the upcoming election even if the candidates you voted for do not win. After all, everybody cannot win.
In most countries, politicians run the country. In order for them to run the country, they require your vote to win. Therefore you should vote but make sure hold the candidates accountable.
You should also vote to send a message to the candidates. This message is in the form of voting for them or voting against them. Hopefully they will get the message one day and do things differently from what have been done in the past.
Conclusion
Your vote matters and the politicians know that. You have more power than they do, so use your power by voting in the next election. Yes you are frustrated but staying home is not the answer. If you want a change then vote. This is your opportunity to participate and make a difference in your country.