Former United States President, Franklin D. Roosevelt, once said, roughly, that the only people who are going to deprive Americans of their right to vote are themselves by simply not voting. An important point is made here, but it isn’t complete. Today, the issue isn’t so much that people aren’t voting (after all, in 2008 Barack Obama showed what giving America a taste of hope can do to voter turnout), but that voting itself has become ineffective. 

Voting in its purist form is simply a choice. You do this every day, whether it is hitting “like” on your BFF’s latest selfies or deciding to either pull an all-night cram-fest or get a few precious, extra z’s. What is so important about the decision made on that cold November Tuesday every other year? You may think this is a dumb question, but I dare you to think on it for a second.

Now, normally here I do my biannual rant on how you need to choose someone beyond the name or even the little letter beside the candidate’s name. Likewise, I am not simply saying look at the issues because sometimes people change their minds (and thank goodness). I’d even go so far as to say you should have your bros put wax in your ears throughout election season to avoid the siren’s song. So then, how is one to vote?

Vote for the person. Simple, right?  Unfortunately you can’t trust political promises and pretty much everyone has a past he or she is not too particularly proud of. So in the end, figure out who these people are. Granted, this is no spectator’s sport.  You have to get out there. In fact, seek these people out (trust me, they will be wanting your vote, and they ought to be able to spare you a few moments). Meet these people, ask them questions that you would ask someone you wanted to get to know, not how they feel about x, y or z. In the end, those who represent us ought to be good, outstanding individuals, not some media-created myth that you put all your chips on.

Congressman Lee Terry, for example, is running to maintain his seat in office.  When I prepare for my most sacred civic duty, I don’t care what he thinks about abortion, defense spending, or who he thinks is going to the NCAA playoffs this year.  These opinions could change at the opportunity to advance one’s own position in life (and this isn’t a Terry trait, it’s a human trait). What concerns me is that during the government shutdown in October 2013, Terry was more concerned with his own paycheck than that of more than a million other government employees. That’s selfish and conduct unbecoming of the people who are supposed to be fighting for us.  The man has also made inappropriate comments about ignition switches while at an important hearing for a General Motors recall earlier this year. Of course, I can’t say I’m a huge fan of his opponent either, so I have a tough decision to make before Tuesday.

This goes for all elections, even CSU officials who hold important positions with high levels of responsibility.  Sure, you can vote for them without even getting out of bed, but you must do more than push a button. Seek out these candidates, all levels, all shapes, and make sure they are the right people to represent you.  Check their moral barometers, be assured they have backbones, and know their biases (we are human, we all have them). Don’t just vote, choose and choose wisely.  If deeper consideration is not taken, Mr. Roosevelt’s fear may come true, even with high voter turnout.