The Importance Of Voting

After the 2000 presidential election result-calling process in the U.S. went on for a month or more, due in large part to the closeness of the vote between Gore and Bush in the state of Florida, I wondered how people could ever again be lacksidasical about voting. I don't recall the final tally in Florida, and it's probably meaningless anyway since the state's governor (who just happened to be the brother of one of the two candidates) made sure to put people in charge of the process who were sympathetic to "the cause" (of getting his brother elected President of the United States), but it was very, very close. Like, maybe even just hundreds of votes!

In the U.S. election that happened earlier this month, there was considerably less drama in the top contest ("No Drama Obama" and all that!). However, there's presently another recount underway, this time involving the Minnesota Senate seat that was up for grabs. As of today, that recount has the two candidates 136 votes apart! 136 votes! As I said in 2000, about the people of Florida, "just imagine if you felt strongly about the outcome of the race but, for whatever reason, hadn't bothered to vote that year!" Obviously, most people who have firm convictions about such things will vote, but sometimes the weather keeps you inside, or plans change, or you just decide at the last minute that "one vote can't possibly make a difference." And yet, the way things are going in Minnesota, either Al Franken (former writer and performer on Saturday Night Live!) or Norm Coleman could represent Minnesota in the U.S. Senate for the next 6 years based on just a few dozen votes. I wouldn't want to be one of those people who'd "really meant to vote" in that state this year...