Election Results (Not What You’re Thinking)
For years it has been engrained in every American’s mind how important it is to get out to the polls and vote. We’ve even enlisted the help of young celebrities such as Kendall Jenner, Zendaya, and USC’s very own Miranda Cosgrove, to help get out the message to young voters that we are in a crucial election year and it’s everyone’s civil duty to vote. Aside from the polarizing presidential candidates on the ballot, there are many important laws, propositions, and other political officials that are important to cast your vote for. This election year was no different, the same ignorant cries of “my vote doesn’t count” from voters of all ages followed by unexpectedly low voter turnout ensued. What the general public often fails to interpret about the process of voting and election years is that this year was not just a matter of Donald Trump versus Hillary Clinton. Even though that’s what we are spoon fed by the media there are much more political offices, laws, and policies at stake that are on the ballot specific to each state.
Specifically speaking to the environmental side of the house and the two states I am most familiar with, California and Washington (California where I currently reside and Washington being the state I vote in) there were multiple important measures on the ballot that would severely impact the future. Measure Z was on the California ballot in an attempt to ban fracking in Monterey County, CA. It passed with a vote of 40,332 to 31, 949 meaning they’ve banned the use of fracking and other high-intensity methods of oil and gas extraction, such as acid stimulation, prohibit new oil and gas operations in the county and phased out operational oil and gas wells. Saying your vote “doesn’t count” is completely invalid, if you would look at the somewhat narrow margin in which the measure was passed, all time low voter turnout in California most likely played a role in the outcome of this important measure.
Washington state also had an important proposal on the ballot, that being the proposed statewide carbon tax. The carbon tax would be implemented which would mean that any and all carbon emissions would be taxed in the state of Washington $15/megaton of pollution. This bill was heavily opposed by the democratic party (the predominant party in the state of Washington) and also the environmental activist group, Sierra Club. The bill failed and was voted against by a wide margin. Voter turnout was certainly better than California but there’s still room to improve.
The moral of this story is that no matter who the presidential candidates are on the ballot it’s important to get out and vote while the winner of the overarching general election may not be swayed by your vote specifically, many important local bills and measures will be.
