Why I Vote
I care about voting. So much so that I advocate it for a living.
Most of my colleagues were exposed to voting through their parents — moms who took them to their polling place every election or dads who discussed elections around the dinner table. This was the upbringing that influenced their career path. I don’t have those stories.
My parents moved to the U.S. with nothing and worked hard to make a life. My upbringing focused on academics — mom taught me to read while dad helped me with math. They took me to the library and encouraged me to take every science class. But what they didn’t do is teach or talk to me about voting. They cared less for politics, especially in a country foreign to them. In fact, they started voting only recently through a combination of my insistence and voter encouragement efforts from our local BAPS Swaminarayan Mandir.
I didn’t start as someone who made it a priority to vote. I registered to vote when I was 18. I voted in a few presidential elections and some other local elections through the years. In my early 20s, if I remembered or if someone reminded me, I voted. I liked voting. Every time I went, I walked away with a heightened sense of patriotic pride. And if at all I missed an election, I usually shrugged and moved on. Today is a different story. I vote in every single election, including the school board elections — even when they are not contested and despite not having kids. Why? Because I’ve learned that the act of voting itself is vital.
I wish I could tell you it was one specific thing or a moment that gave me tremendous insight and changed my life. But the truth is the importance of voting has built up within me over the years.
The first and probably the most meaningful realization I had was that voting is an extension of my personal values.
“In the joy of others lies our own.”
His Holiness Pramukh Swami Maharaj (1921–2016), the spiritual leader of BAPS, often said and always lived by these profound words. His life was one of sacrifice, spent entirely in seva, or service of others. Although I haven’t achieved this level of selflessness, I make an effort to live up to his words. I try not to hurt others, and I am helpful to the best of my ability. I also honestly believe in the importance of seva. I’ve volunteered at the local BAPS Swaminarayan Mandir for most of my life. Whether it was raising funds for the local walkathon or volunteering at the annual health fair, I performed seva in my teens because I enjoyed it and saw value in being helpful to others. But it wasn’t until my 20’s that I was able to look back and appreciate how much the seva I performed helped me. It made me who I am. It not only equipped me with critical skills but taught me to introspect and ask, how and where else could I be of service?
Voting is my civic duty.
I learned this in school, but I didn’t grasp this concept fully until much later. If service was integral to me — helping others and caring about my community — why wasn’t I voting? Voting is how we actively demonstrate our care for our community, our state, and our country. It’s our contribution to our government because democracy only works if we engage. We do not just vote for ourselves but also for our families, friends, neighbors, and community. We vote for progress. For me, it is one way to give back to the country that has provided my family and my community of fellow Indians a new home with opportunities to grow and succeed. My spiritual background also taught me that voting is one of the simplest ways to do seva.
To vote is powerful.
That’s the essence of democracy. The power is with people instead of a monarch. I learned this as a textbook concept when I was relatively young, but I didn’t truly understand it until later.
In May 2020, COVID-19 still had a stifling grip over us as individuals quarantined in their homes for safety. During that time, my town had a school board election. I anticipated a low turnout. It was an uncontested race, and the election was going to be vote-by-mail only. I still voted. But that’s not what stands out. A friend from my town made a point to tell me she voted. As always, I was happy to hear it. But it’s what she said next that has stuck with me. She said that with so much uncertainty right now, this was one thing she had control over. That was exactly right! I realized my vote is also my power even when I felt powerless against a global pandemic. Feeling empowered to serve my community, with inspiration from my spiritual background, I can list many reasons why voting matters to me. But in the end, it boils down to the fact that my vote is my voice, and I have never been one to stay silent.
Henal Patel
North Bergen, NJ
