By Kaila Colbin
This essay was originally written as a LinkedIn post by Kaila.
The year: 2000. The election: U.S. President. The candidates: Albert Arnold Gore Jr. and George Walker Bush.
I live in Florida, but I’m on the road for a work trip, and I haven't voted. The absentee ballot is kind of a pain in the ass and — let’s be honest — my vote doesn’t matter, right?
It’s election night. I’m bar-hopping in the New Orleans French Quarter. We wander into the first bar where they’ve got CNN on TV, announcing the results state by state.
Breaking news: “CNN can confirm that Al Gore has won the state of Florida.”
"Whew," think I, a person who would have voted for Gore.
We finish our drinks, move onto the next bar. New breaking news: “Correction: it now appears George Bush has won Florida.”
"Darnit," think I. "Should’ve voted."
Next bar: whoopsy, it’s actually Gore. Next bar: whoopsy again, no it’s really Bush this time. We head back to the hotel. I fall asleep and still no winner in Florida. I wake up and turn on CNN, where a man-on-the-street reporter is staring at me.
“Well, the election is still undecided, and it all comes down to the state of Florida.”
"Darnit," think I. "Should’ve voted."
“And one of the most hotly contested counties in Florida is Broward County” — the county I live in.
"Darnit," think I. "Should’ve voted."
“And I’m broadcasting to you from Lester’s Diner” — my local, on the corner, where I have breakfast every day when I’m at home, and I’m watching the guy in horror, waiting for him to point directly at me and say, “And YOU, Kaila Colbin, DIDN’T VOTE, and we’re ALL WAITING FOR YOU.”
That election came down to 537 votes in the state of Florida.
The margin was 0.009%.
And yeah, my one vote still wouldn’t have swayed it. But it’s a lot harder to convince yourself your vote doesn’t matter when you’re one of 537 instead of one of 100,000,000.
Worse, for eight years, I felt like I had no right to comment, no right to complain. In our hard-fought, hard-won democracy, my vote is the most basic tool, the absolute bare-minimum starting point to influence the system and get my voice heard — and I couldn’t be bothered?!? I was so ashamed.
This week is election week in the United States. This is not a plea for you to vote for *my* candidate — vote your conscience, vote your values, vote your principles, vote your policies.
But VOTE. Your vote matters — as does mine.
Kaila Colbin is founder and CEO of global leadership development company Boma, and a huge fan of Tangle. Find out more about her here.