My Vote Didn’t Matter — or So I Thought
Removing myself from the process wasn’t an act of defiance. It was just the absence of conviction.
The prewar buildings of Pelham Parkway in the Bronx are packed closely together, and the recesses between them are always filled with the sounds of the quotidian — pots and pans banging in a mealtime symphony, couples arguing, the drone of a too-loud TV.
But on this day 12 years ago, the noise was different. As I watched the electoral numbers updating in real time on my screen, I heard a joyous scream rise from the alley outside my apartment. The jubilant staccato celebrations ringing from my normally sleepy street confirmed it before the newscast I was watching did. Barack Obama had won the 2008 presidential election. He became the first Black president of a nation built on the backs of Black people. It was a historic moment. But it was also one that I hadn’t taken part in.
For a nation that prides itself on freedom, the United States has a surprisingly high rate of voter apathy. A study by Pew Research shows that since 2008, voter turnout has steadily decreased. And as of the 2016 election, the United States ranks close to last among developed nations when it comes to voter participation.
