By Rachel Chiang | Assistant News Editor
As posts of “I Voted” stickers flooded your feed with the opening of early voting last week and Election Day passing, hear these words: you don’t need to announce who you voted for.
I’ve seen people reposting cute infographics on Facebook and Instagram stating if you value this or that aspect of your freedom, then you must vote for this candidate. While I believe educating your peers and colleagues on politics is important, especially when properly informing others about specific policies and candidate stances, people shouldn’t get their information through a hot pink infographic on Instagram. Those posts often generalize entire groups of people and boils down entire parties to one specific aspect or person. What ends up happening, and what I find ridiculous, is when people start posting that they are not racist, so therefore they are voting for Kamala Harris. Then likewise, people say they are Christian, so therefore they are voting for Donald Trump.
Your character should solely be defined by how you conduct yourself. If you need to align with a political stance or wear a badge of honor to prove you are something, are you really even that thing? This is 2024. While racism still exists, most Americans have been in this cultural melting pot long enough to respect the plethora of races and ethnicities that reside here and do not prioritize thinking about it. If your real character reflects what you claim to be, if anyone accuses you of racism, the people you are immediately surrounded by would know that is clearly a lie.
The same can be applied to Christians. You shouldn’t have to announce to the world that by voting for Trump, you are a good Christian. Let your character and the Holy Spirit guide your thoughts, speech and actions. If a checkmark on a ballot is doing the speaking on your behalf, then you should check your heart and ask why you stand for your ideals. The same way someone should know by your character what kind of person you are, the same is true for your faith. Let Christ be shown through your actions, not your vote.
In fact, it is better altogether not to announce to the world who you are voting for. Your political opinions are shaped and formed by your experiences and values, so why should it be anyone else’s business? Nobody will have the exact same stance on every opinion, and you do not owe it to anyone to explain why you chose to vote for a certain candidate.
I have had real conversations with others telling me that as a minority, I cannot vote for a certain party because they hate “my kind.” First of all, it’s ironic that you feel a “minority” is unable to make informed decisions based on their own research and experiences. Making a decision on their behalf for their own good is just as racist as the other side you claim to be defending them from. Second of all, half the issue with people feeling obligated to post who they are voting for is to prove they are or aren’t something. We have polarized and generalized so many topics in politics that we have drawn lines on what a stereotypical voter of a certain party must be.
In such a polarized political environment, the loudest action you can take is saying nothing at all. If people want to make assumptions about your character based on stereotypes, your ethnicity or even your age, let them. The people closest to you and the ones that actually have weight in your life will know the real you. If anyone doubts your authenticity and character based on who you voted for, that says more about them than it does about you.
I am not discouraging constructive conversations about politics and sharing opinions. In fact, I encourage you to have civil discourse and share your experiences in meaningful discussions. But by posting who you voted for, what exactly are you trying to prove?
