Viewpoint: Is there a duty to vote?

Is there a duty to vote?

This was the question presented to my economics class just last week.

It became increasingly clear during the class that this is one of those rare topics where debating it does not just entrench people further in their own mindsets -- it gets a real conversation going.

The primary argument against voting is the decisive factor.

For your vote to actually decide the winner, there must be either be an exact tie, or the total votes must be one away from a tie, in which case your vote would cause the need for some sort of tie breaker.

I think we can all agree that this is extremely unlikely, as the probability of either of these two scenarios increases with the number of voters (during the last presidential election, this number totaled roughly 225.2 million people).

So why vote?

I am finally old enough to vote -- should I discard the opportunity?

After careful thought and consideration, I will certainly be at the voting polls this November.

There is much more to voting than being the theoretical “decisive” person. Voting is an act that I am extremely fortunate to be able to take part in.

There were obviously grueling sacrifices in our country’s history in order to obtain this rare right. By exercising your right to vote, you show an appreciation for your freedom. Taking a moment to show gratitude, even if you do not believe your vote will decide the winner, can be invaluable.

While the mathematical argument for voting does not appear to be as strong, it is still valuable. Unfortunately, we tend to care much more about relative wealth than wealth itself. This translates directly to voting in that your not voting transfers your one vote’s power over to everyone else. Their votes have just become relatively more powerful because of your choice to not vote.

While this relative difference is miniscule in objective size, I bet it would feel more important if you knew that these people weren’t planning to vote the same way you would have.

By doing nothing, you have aided, albeit in a small way, the other party. Furthermore, it is hard to mathematically measure the influences your vote may have. Certain endorsements can be invaluable to candidates, while the average Joe’s vote becomes part of a smaller and smaller demographic that may influence somebody who researches statistics before voting.

Finally, many Americans, like myself, feel the need to educate themselves further before voting. If we believe in this “duty” to vote, we also begin to see a duty to make an informed vote. If encouraging Americans to vote has a byproduct of increasing voter knowledge, then marketing voting as a responsibility and not just a pointless activity can only be a good thing.

Taylor Bloom is a Spring 2012 USA TODAY Collegiate Correspondent. Learn more about her here.

This story originally appeared on the USA TODAY College blog, a news source produced for college students by student journalists. The blog closed in September of 2017.