I am told that there is a great deal of voter apathy floating around. In a democratic form of government, the vote is the electoral voice. You get to have a say about what is important and which direction you want to see your community go. Candidates generally structure their campaigns around policy positions that are of interest to voters. Consider this: African Americans have not always been free in the United States. The 13th Amendment to the Constitution abolished slavery. Elected officials had to vote to abolish it. To pass the House of Representatives, a two-thirds majority was required. A total of 175 votes were cast: 119 for the 13th Amendment and 56 against. Had the result been 116 for and 59 against (a difference of three votes), the amendment would not have passed, and freedom for African Americans would have been delayed. There were no African Americans in the House of Representatives. The measure barely passed.