TO THE EDITOR:
Tuesday’s letter, “Why I won’t be voting on this Election Day,” offered an overly simplistic view on presidential elections decisions.
The author stated that he would not be voting because a vote “provides no feedback as to what policies you like or dislike” and “validates” all of a candidate’s policies regardless of whether you agree with them.
The process of deciding who to vote for is much more complex than cherry-picking a few policies with which you disagree in order to justify disregarding the rest of his platform.
Of course people can vote for a candidate without agreeing to all of his policies. Every candidate’s platform is massive, encompassing issues such as foreign policy, economic policies, health care, taxes, and equal rights.
Those of us who vote understand that the candidate we support may not perfectly represent our personal political beliefs, but are willing to compromise on those issues in light of what we believe is in the best interest of the nation.
Withholding your vote is itself validating the government’s practices because you didn’t even try to elect another candidate who would enact policies that you would approve.
If you wish to reform the nature of our nation’s politics, the first step is not to withhold your voice. Go vote.
Julia Chou ‘14
Computer science
Economics
