An Election-Day Post

Good day, my friends. Wanted to share with you a little piece that I wrote for the MBA Newsletter titled "My Vote Doesn't Count." Thought it was appropriate to share today of all days.

My Vote Doesn't Count

Growing up in the Washington D.C. suburbs and later working for The Washington Post, I've been exposed to my fair share of politics and politicians. My father's professional career was spent working for the federal government, and public policy, political ideas, and the realities of our political system have long been a part of my vocabulary. Over time, however, youthful ideals of my ability to influence the political process gave way to the harsh reality that as a rank-and-file American my vote doesn't count.

I don't believe this is true for everybody. Thus far in my life, however, this has been true for me. I've lived in Virginia the entirety of my voting life. And Virginia is a Red State: the state's presidential electorates end up in the Republican's column. With a clear majority, it doesn't matter if I vote or not as my vote won't change the outcome.

But this election is different! The Democratic leanings of Northern Virginia are gaining enough of a strong hold that it is becoming a swing state. As party nominees were announced and vice presidential candidates chosen it became clear that Virginia would be a battleground, where each vote could have influence. Virginia is a player in this year's presidential election. And my vote would count … except I moved to Utah. Back to square one.

Maybe someday Utah will become a swing state. Or I will move somewhere where the pendulum doesn't sit firmly on one side of the aisle. But in the meantime, I will continue to vote, as I have, in each election. The question remains: "Is a cast vote enough?" The First Presidency has counseled us:

"As citizens we have the privilege and duty of electing office holders and influencing public policy … Latter-day Saints as citizens are to seek out and then uphold leaders who will act with integrity and are wise, good, and honest … we urge you to register to vote, to study the issues and candidates carefully and prayerfully, and then to vote for and actively support those you believe will most nearly carry out your ideas of good government. " -- Letter from the First Presidency dated September 22, 2008

The First Presidency says we should do more, that we should not only vote but also "actively support those you believe will most nearly carry out your ideas of good government." Active support can take many forms, from engaging in dialog about the state of our society and how to influence it, to working for a campaign, to running for office. Few will ever do the latter, and a slightly larger group will do the penultimate. But the former is something that each of us can do, and not just during election years. In fact, productively sharing our thoughts about family and the gospel can be more than missionary work, but also active participation in the political process.

So, yes, I still believe that my vote doesn't count. But there's more than just my vote. And hopefully those actions will count for something someday.