By Amanda Ojeda
The 2020 election like many past ones, has without a doubt been a cause of arising concerns, tension, and confusion. Unlike most past elections, we are currently amid a global pandemic, bringing up a new set of issues and factors to consider when voting. Whether this is your fifth time voting or your first, many people have put immense thought into what course they want this country to take. Asking questions such as: “What policies do the candidates support? What will they change if they become elected? How will this affect the people of this country?” All valid questions that one should ask when voting. However, this isn’t always the case.
Careless voting is when a person votes for a candidate without fully taking into account important aspects of that person and their campaign. Unfortunately, careless voting is almost inevitable during each election. A multitude of these votes can result in the candidate winning the popular vote and at times the election. This only proves how when a person votes without much thought, it can put the country and its people in a state of vulnerability and maltreatment.
Forms of irresponsible voting can be voting for someone just because your friends and family are, voting for someone based only on their views on a single issue, and voting solely in spite of the other candidate. In the current 2020 election some people have been voting Biden solely in spite of Trump. The same can be said vice versa, although in this election I believe that people voting Biden in spite of Trump is more prominent. All their pent-up anger and hatred towards the other candidate makes them act recklessly and vote without the proper research and information. This can lead to a series of conflicts in the near future.
Quite a few people in this country have unknowingly taken part in the careless voting community. Many of them have disagreed with the leadership of Donald J. Trump or have felt that the country has not improved much or at all since he took the position of POTUS. Therefore, they instantaneously vote for Biden without doing the necessary research. Others are staying loyal to whichever party they support without understanding the true effects this will have on the country. This closed way of thinking can be detrimental, putting people in precarious situations such as poverty, being subject to unjust laws, or lack of employment. Even if you believe you are safe from any repercussions of poor leadership, whoever wins the election will then have not total control, but a very large part in what direction the United States will go in. Some decisions they will have great power over are how our country wants to move forward in addressing our current environmental and financial state along with other issues. Most of which have widespread effects, which in turn affects us all. Overall, if you are able to vote this year, I urge you to do your research, and know who you believe will do what’s right by our country and its people.
