Suffrage

Today I voted in the primary election. I took a Republican ballot though I am neither Republican nor Democrat. I turned in a ballot marked with "no preference" or what I would refer to as a blank ballot. 

 A lot of people have asked me in the past why I turn in blank ballots - why even bother?  I have never missed a vote - not even a small town election. Most of the time I do choose a candidate but I feel like the presidential one is ridiculous. None of the candidates do what they say they are going to do when they are actually in office and all of them engage in negative campaigning. However there are millions of people world wide who have been disenfranchised and would literally kill or die for the right to just be able to cast a ballot in a safe, anonymous way that won't lead to them being beaten, tortured or killed. Therefore I feel it is my duty to live for those people and vote. I vote because they can't - not because I think I will change anything by voting for a president. I know my vote counts and I have changed things by voting on initiatives and referendums. I just don't believe that presidents do much. Congress is MUCH more important to me. 


It greatly annoys me when people aren't registered or don't vote because people worldwide would kill to be able to do that simple act. It's lazy. There is not reason to not vote - it's free.