How Do You Rock the Vote?

Although most people association voting time with November, election time for me is also in the Spring. As I see campaign posters plastering the walls and campaign emails flood my email box for the law student government elections, I fondly (and not so fondly) remember my days on "the trail." As just a voter and a spectator this time around, it's funny to watch people campaign. I keep asking myself "was I like this?"

There will always be the candidates who run on experience. There will be the candidates who run on change. There will be the candidates who run on being the outsiders. Whether at the national level or school level, there are candidates to fill all of these niches.

As interesting as it is to see how candidates position and market themselves, I find it even more fascinating to see how people vote. There are some people who vote because someone is their friend. Or because someone is a female like them. Or because someone is in a club that they're in. Or because someone has a prettier poster. Or because they're sick of the other candidates. Or because a candidate is cute.

Push comes to shove, all voting is completely arbitrary. Even by saying that you're voting for the "best candidate." What does that even mean? No one's perfect, so it's about what you prioritize what you want most out of a leader. To you the best candidate may be the person with the most experience. To another, the best candidate might be someone who's the most inspiring. To another, the best candidate might be someone who has the best ideas. And to another, the best candidate might be someone who's ideology most closely aligns with yours.

I'm guessing (or maybe hoping) that people vote on a combination of these characistics. But it's not always easy to find someone or pick amongst many choices. I know I don't even have "my '08" candidate yet.

The interesting part about the whole voting system is that at the end of the day, people don't need to explain for who they voted for or have to have a good reason. People are allowed to vote for someone because they like their name (this happens way more than people think). All I think people need to remember is that they have to accept the consequences of whatever happens. If you don't like who's in office now, did you contribute to that at the ballot booth...or by not going at all?