Trending Tuesday : reasons you should vote

The most popular news story currently in the state of Mississippi is that of our elections today. This cycle we'll be electing a US Senator to head to Washington and represent us for the next 6 years. If you're not from Mississippi you probably have no idea what a big deal this election has turned into during the past few months. Our 7 term incumbent is being challenged by a state senator with endorsements from big national political names. Add to that inappropriate quotes from an old radio show, an "affair" scandal, on-going criminal investigation, and endless robo calls and commercials. Seriously this thing has the makings of an HBO movie to rival Game Change; we're just one punch to a baby's face away from The Campaign. Oh and did I mention this is just for the primary? Yes, that's right both these candidates are seeking the Republican nomination. I assume there is a Democratic Party primary, but honestly I've not seen one advertisement for one of those candidates. Plus my Congressional district has a pretty heated race for Representative, just to add to the excitement.

Politics have fascinated me ever since the hanging chads of Bush Gore 2000; I was in 4th grade and thought it was the most interesting thing. Later that spring my family visited DC and toured the White House and Capitol (thanks to the office of this same incumbent) and my obsession began. I almost majored in political science, settling for a minor instead when people kept trying to talk to me about law school. There was a month during spring semester my sophomore year where I spent my free time drawing Congressional districts for fun. What I'm trying to say is despite all the unusual craziness of this election, I'm really excited to vote because to me it's one of the most important things I'll ever do. Sadly, I realize that's not the case with most 22 year olds. Young people get a lot less excited about practicing this right when there's no MTV star in your face telling you to "Rock the Vote."

So today I've prepared a list to share of reasons why you should always vote

1. It's what our country was founded on
2. There are men and women serving in uniform every day to protect this right
3. If you don't vote, you can't complain about what our elected officials do
4. It'll give you a great sense of American pride
5. Having your candidate win is like having your favorite team win; it's exciting
6. It's free and usually takes very little time
7. You'll get a cool "I voted sticker"


So the next time you have a local election I hope you'll take the time to go cast your ballot. I'm not going to tell you who to vote for or what party to join; I just want you to let your voice be heard. But PS if you're a Mississippi voter and don't know who to vote for today just email me and I'll let you know who the smart choice is for our state.



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