The stereotypical majority of gamers are 18 - 35 years old.  It also happens that this is the age demographic that is the least likely to vote.  Perhaps it’s only after we’ve seen 40+ years of the world’s turning that it dawns on us that we can and should take some responsibility for what things go on.  I am not yet part of the 35+ group so I can’t say what magical realization causes them to vote so much more regularly and reliably than my generation.  What I can tell you is that there is no good reason at all why my peers and I (Generation X-ers, the Y-ers, Millennials, Gamers, etc) shouldn’t have our voices heard in this year’s election.

I’m not going to use this stage to soapbox for my favorite candidates or measures, I’m just asking you to VOTE TOMORROW.  If you can do a little research tonight, that would certainly be a bonus.  If you can ask your friends and family what they know and what they’re voting for, you’ll be glad to have the background info.  But if you do nothing else, go to the polls tomorrow and vote. 

I know it can be a pain to remember to do it or a pain to take time out of your day, but to put it into perspective, remember how hard some people in our past have fought for this right and how hard some people in the world currently are fighting and dying for the right to have a voice in how their society and their government is run.  Excuses like “it’s already so messed up that my vote can’t improve anything” or “there are enough voters already that my vote won’t actually make a difference” is all a bunch of cop-out.  Take some responsibility, cast your vote, or else you might as well be forfeiting your right to judge the system that is in place.

If you didn’t manage to register this year, take this as a reminder: it’s not too late to register for next time.

We may spend a lot of time in alternate fantasy worlds being governed by an entirely different set of rules, but the real world does creep in sometimes and for all of our general lack of appreciation for what really goes on behind the scenes of the system that keeps us afloat, we should recognize that the least we can do is participate every couple of years and give our feedback.  Let’s not be underrepresented this time around.