In a letter dated September 9, 2008 and published in the November issue of VIBE, Sen. Barack Obama encourages readers to go out and register to vote, he appeals to the reader's uncertainty of the weight of their vote and says "Too often, our leaders let us down. They don't seem to do much to make our lives better. So I understand the temptation to sit elections out... if you don't [vote], you give your silent endorsement to the way things are."
That statement could not be more true. I barely made the deadline to file for an absentee ballot, and I've been waiting with bated breath for it to come in the mail, and I honestly would have been crushed had I missed the deadline and not been able to vote. Yes, I am one person and yes, my vote will be only one of thousands. But it still matters to me. Besides, if everyone felt their vote didn't matter, noone would vote and then where would we be?
So this is my last minute plea. I have begged (and persistently nagged) everyone I know to register to vote, but now everyone has to actually go out and do it. If you missed the absentee ballot deadline, drive home and vote if its anyway possible for you. For many of us, this is our first election. Make it count.