Several months ago, when voting in primary elections was occurring, I asked a waiter if he had voted. When he said he had not, I asked if he planned to do so. His answer was the same, “No!” Then I asked why he was willing to let old people like me shape his future. He wandered off, seemingly disinterested.At the end of my meal, the waiter returned and said he appreciated what I said and planned to register and to vote. I hope he did. If you haven’t done so, I hope you will not only register to vote, but will also VOTE. Voting matters!
Frequently in interactions with international students I found that they were amazed (and disappointed) at how few of their American colleagues participated in elections. This was especially true for those who were from countries without free elections.
I don’t know why so many people are apathetic when it comes to elections. Neither my wife nor I have ever missed voting in general elections. From the time I became old enough to vote, I’ve taken advantage of every opportunity to do so—with a few exceptions. While serving as UA’s chancellor, I voted only one time in a primary election. Why didn’t I vote in all primary elections? Because my choice of the political party would be available to the public. Who I voted for was private, but the political party I chose wasn’t private.
As I mentioned in an earlier blog, the one time I voted in a primary election in Arkansas while serving as UA’s chancellor resulted in the political party I chose being published in a newspaper. I also mentioned that a good friend lost his job as president of a university because he and his wife voted in a primary. One-half of the governing board members for that university were appointed by a governor who was a Democrat; the others were appointed by a Republican governor.
My friend’s experience caused me to forego voting in primary elections while serving as UA’s chancellor. Now that I no longer hold a position in which my choice of political parties will be of general interest, I vote in primaries. So does my wife.
If you don’t vote, what is your excuse for not doing so? If it’s because you live in a “blue (or red) state” and favor a “red (or blue) candidate” and you don’t believe your vote will matter, don’t forget there are other people and issues on the ballot where your vote will matter. Don’t be like the person I describe on page 240 in Why It Matters: Reflections on Practical Leadership. When asked, “Which do you think is worse, ignorance or indifference?”, the person’s response was, “I don’t know, and I don’t care.” Of the two, indifference is far worse than ignorance.
As I noted on page 250 of Why It Matters, Teddy Roosevelt is credited with saying, “Nobody cares how much you know until they know how much you care.” As students in my leadership class learned, it’s one of Chris Lofgren’s favorite quotes. It’s also one of mine. Caring matters!
I care deeply about our nation’s future. If those who will determine its future don’t care enough to vote, what hope is there for our nation? Voting matters!
I’m more concerned about whether or not you vote than I am about which political party you vote for or what your position is on issues on the ballot. Please vote and, when you step into the voting booth, cast your vote for people whom you believe possess the attributes and values essential for exemplary leadership and who care most about the future of our nation. Thank you for doing so!
Next: Keeping Score
