Encouraging Caucus Participation?

The question of whether winning or participation is more important often comes up for me when thinking about elections and the caucus.

As a college-aged Republican, I am fully aware that only about a quarter of my peers identify as members of the GOP and most are likely to vote Democrat. In a world where I encourage more of my peers to vote, I am adding to the probability that the GOP won’t win.

Every campaign works to Get Out The Vote, but usually just the votes that are likely to go their way.

Personally, I prefer to err on the side of participation. Voting is meant to be a measure of how the nation is feeling. Not just the half of the eligible citizens that actually vote. If half of America truly doesn’t agree with my view of how the country should be run, it’s that portion of the population’s right to say so and spend the next four years in power. At the end of the day, either side could be right or wrong.

Imagine an America with double the voters. Where the barriers to voting are decreased and people are aware of all the options they have.

The blame lies on both ends.

The laws, economic status, and foreign policy of this country affect every American. Political news is on the front page of every paper. Voting is planned years in advance and is as easy as registering once when renewing a license. There is no reason not to participate.

But…

We still have to choose if inclusion or the risk of losing is worth more to us. I don’t know if there’s a truly correct answer, but it’s definitely an interesting thought.