Africans vote, so should you

As you journey to the polls today, consider the power you have as a voter.

Sure, in America, voting isn’t at the top of many people’s priority list. But it should be.

In the past few months, I heard time and time again from my peers, “Why would I vote? I don’t care about this election.” So many people seem to think that voting doesn’t matter and feel apathetically toward any sort of politics.

I agree that this election is not the most exciting of elections. But I will be voting today because it is my right and duty as a United States citizen.

These congressional races might not mean much to me, but the idea of learning about candidates and expressing one’s voice in the ballot box is very sacred.

Maybe the reason I find voting to be my civil duty is because I have learned about the fights that those before me have waged to give me the right to vote.

All around the world, people have fought and continue to fight for their right to cast a ballot.

Take for example Côte d’Ivoire, also known as the Ivory Coast, a nation in West Africa that had its first presidential election in 10 years last Sunday, Oct. 30. Fourteen candidates were on the ballot. Many polls have showed incumbent Laurent Gbagbo ahead in the polls.

Many fear the election will incite violence on one or both sides. There is a lot of tension, especially in the western areas of the country.

This fear of violence has lead to six election delays in the past five years.

Even if the initial election goes well, there is a fear that conflict will arise in a run-off ballot as it has in the neighboring nation of Guinea. Yet, the entire region of West Africa seems to be invested in Côte d’Ivoire’s successful election.

Côte d’Ivoire is an example of a country whose citizens are desperately pleading for the right to vote in a safe and fair manner.

All they want to do is express their opinions without fearing for their lives.

Hopefully, Côte d’Ivoire will experience non-violent and fair elections similar to their fellow Francophone West African country, Togo.

Last March, Togo held a peaceful presidential election where the people re-elected Faure Gnassingbé.

Many feared the election would lead to the same kind of violence found in the 2005 presidential election, where almost 800 people died in post-election fighting.

Yet, Togo proved everyone wrong and had a virtually free, fair and non-violent election.

Countries such as Togo prove that African elections can be peaceful and represent the choices of the people. Elsewhere on the African continent, the East African nation of Tanzania had a presidential election Sunday.

Tanzania is a relatively politically stable country that has historically had fair and free elections.

The country’s citizens cast their ballots Sunday between their current President Jakaya Kikwete and Willibrod Slaa of Chadema party.

Originally, Kikwete had a huge lead against Slaa. But recently Slaa has been gaining in the polls due to his engagement of the Tanzania’s youth population.

His party has been using text messages and Facebook to get his message out. They have tried to engage the country’s youth population with the message of “change.”

It’s great to see the youth populations in African nations so involved in politics. This kind of engagement is what we need to see again in America.

So many of us have forgotten the passion we had in the 2008 election and how great a right it is for us to be able to cast our vote in an election.

In so many countries around the world, people are fighting for their right to vote, and many have had this right taken away from them.

Let’s honor their struggles by learning about candidates, registering and voting in our own elections.

Voting is easy for us.

We have access to all kinds of information regarding candidates simply by going online. We can register to vote on campus, and you can walk, bike or bus to your polling center.

We don’t have to fear violence or unfair voting practices, yet we still don’t get out and vote.

Americans need to stop being apathetic toward politics.

Instead, we must engage with our politicians and make our voices heard by stepping into the ballot box and casting our vote.


E-mail: tmkennel@indiana.edu