Flora Hughes (9th)

You might think politics has nothing to do with you. But the price of your insulin? The quality of your school? The condition of your roads? That’s politics.

For starters, Indiana ranks 50th in voter turnout, in this last presidential election only 54% of ELIGIBLE REGISTERED VOTERS voted. So, let’s get into why it’s important to vote. When you don’t use your voice, your handing over the power to someone else that may or may not speak or represent what you’re wanting. Your life is essentially shaped by the people who vote, when you do not vote it allows groups of people (usually small groups!) make decisions that WILL affect your life. If your main worry is taxes, they will come out of your wallet whether you vote or not. So, when it comes down to it, the question is really: Do you want a say in how your money is spent? For education, healthcare, climate change, and the military? Voting isn’t just big-league people like the president. A lot of things such as the cost of your rent, property taxes, funding for schools and roads is determined by local officials and local governments. Even big controversies such as voting access, gun laws, LGBT+ rights and reproductive rights can even be determined by your elected representatives for your state. So, it’s important to stay in tune with voting events that may be going on near you.

Paying attention to political processes is important because again, the systems shape our everyday lives whether we are aware of it or not. Although voting is very important, it’s not just about the candidate. It’s how laws get passed, how budgets get set for different things, and how public services are managed. Policies created through these processes dictate how public funds are distributed, how rights are protected, and how institutions operate. Government decisions determine the grant of billions of dollars annually across sectors like education, infrastructure, and healthcare. Zoning laws (specific regulations that govern how land is used) influence what kinds of neighborhoods or businesses that can be built in your district. Healthcare policies can determine how affordable your medication can be, or even if your own insurance covers mental health. Political oversight also plays a role in checks and balances between branches of government, which helps prevent misuse of power. Decisions that very well impact your life are happening quietly in committee meetings or local councils, not broadcasted all over the news, so it makes it harder for people to depict who could be the best candidate for them. When you research and educate yourself about how political systems are set up, it will be easier to understand more of what you want for yourself, instead of blindly believing what someone tells you. Especially in today’s world where most of everything online isn’t real or isn’t ENTIRELY true. The main message is, do not try and tune out politics and pretend it doesn’t matter because that’s exactly how you’ll end up surprised when something hits too close to home.