Every Vote Counts

Even after being residents of the world's largest democracy, people in India often feel troubled by the thought that if they should vote or not. Voters start questioning themselves that what would their single vote stand for in front of the entire nation's voting population. It has become a poor tendency in voters, especially in urban India, to consider the voting day as a holiday. People sit back in their comfortable couches and complain for services not provided by the government, but less do they participate and choose what they want when elections are held. Elections come and go without being paid attention to by the city population. Citizens do not get their voter IDs made after turning 18, or even if they have it with them, they refrain from using it wisely. The highest ever recorded voter turnout in India was recorded in 2014 for the Lok Sabha elections at 66.4%. This shows that a big part of the community chooses not to vote and thus wastes its right to vote.

Voting is a constitutional right we are lucky to have. People in many parts of the world have protested and fought for this privilege. Our vote is the only agent we have to change what is wrong and bring what is right. It is people who stand guilty for the country being stuck with a bad government as they vote for wrong or do not vote at all. In a country so populous, a voter might feel that a single vote does not make any difference. But this turns out to be a national attitude when crores of votes are not casted. By not voting for what they want, people increase the chances of unsuitable ones being in the power. A mere difference of 537 votes drove George Bush into The White House instead of Al Gore who was rather more popular. This led the conditions of America as well the entire globe for the worse. C.P. Joshi failed to become Rajasthan's chief minister against Kalyan Chouhan just by one single vote whose wife, mother and personal driver didn't cast their votes! How heart rending it was for the man to get all the counting done once more but find nothing except utter sadness.

It is our right as well our moral responsibility to vote. Citizens not fulfilling this duty lead to the failure of Indian Republic. Voting is even an honour and a symbol of respect for our strugglers who got us freedom. We can show our gratitude to the history of India and our vision for the future of India by casting our votes. Not using our votes may seen harmless to us but the long term consequences can be disastrous. Elections are an important part of our country and voting should not be considered optional but rather crucial for the survival of our democracy.