There are so many things I should have said but didn’t. I am not the type of person who says too much or says things I regret without thinking. On the contrary, I am far too quiet. In my case, I need to speak up more. There are many times I hold my tongue. In fact, I did it today, election day 2024.
On election day 2024, I sat at the Welcome Desk greeting voters dropping off their ballots at a drop box located on the community college campus where I work. The Welcome Desk is usually occupied by someone from my department who checks in students, as well as, a security guard contracted by the college with an outsourced company. On election day, we were short staffed, so I watched the Welcome Desk with the security guard who had only been there maybe two weeks.
As I directed voters to the ballot box, asked if their ballots were signed, and handed out “I voted” stickers to excited voters, I felt privileged to play even a small role in the democratic process. Every citizen has a voice and I was there to ensure their voices would be counted. I am proud to be a public servant as a public educator and gladly did my part on election day.
Sitting next to me was the security guard who opened the door for the voters with an automated button, while staring at his phone with headphones in his ears. I finally had the opportunity to talk to him a little and found out some concerning things.
On election day, his father died in Atlanta, and he did not have the resources to travel back.
On elections day, he received an eviction notice and, after work, would travel two hours on public transportation to a home he was not sure he would be able to enter.
And, on election day, like every other day of his life, he was a black man who was not registered to vote.
“I don’t see how politics makes a difference in my life,” he told me as he opened the door for a proud voter.
He is not alone. Turn out for this election was much lower than the 2020 election. We often hear about the number of registered voters who vote, but it is rare that we learn about the number of citizens who are not even registered. According to U.S. News, there were 245 million Americans eligible to vote in the 2024 election, including unregistered citizens, but excluding those under 18 and felons. 89 million eligible voters (including unregistered citizens) did not vote in the 2024 election.
While it is difficult to find information on the demographics of voters vs. non-voters, it is likely there is a correlation with race and income. How many young black men believe politics does not matter and are not even registered to vote?
I sat next to this young man, silently wondering how many are just like him. How many young black men's voices are not being heard? And I didn’t say anything. How could I have sat there silently and said nothing? But what could I have said? On a day when the voice of the people could change everything, (and did) I did not think I could make a difference in this young man’s life. Could I have said anything to change his mind? Probably not, but it was worth a try. I work with underserved students who face enormous challenges to achieving their goals and I support and encourage them to persist through difficult times, but I said nothing to this young man who did not believe his vote mattered. Obviously, he was preoccupied with other things. The election was probably the last thing on his mind, and even if my opinion could not change his mind, I feel like I should told him that, I thought his vote would make a difference, even if he did not think so. Maybe it wouldn’t have mattered, but maybe it would have. You never know when you might have an impact on someone else’s life.
Sometimes our biggest mistakes lie in what we don't say.
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About the Creator
Terri Kalloch
I love writing, walking in the woods, smelling the pine trees and playing with my two rambunctious dogs. You can find me on Blue Sky and Facebook (for now). By day, I am an academic advisor at a community college.
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Comments (1)
This is a very interesting story. I am quite the opposite of you, and that is okay! I write and produce music about my opinions regarding democracy and freedom. Check out my channel.