Voting isn't fun. To vote responsibly you need to understand the issues, be familiar with the candidates, and have an awareness of current events. Voting on propositions requires the ability to decipher sometimes complex language in the bill itself, as well as an understanding of a bill's implications. Where does the money come from? How well is it regulated/apportioned? Are there hidden costs, either financial or otherwise? A 'yes' or 'no' is not always simple.

And then there's voting for a person. I find it incredibly difficult to choose candidates; there's more to it than simply reading and understanding a proposed ballot initiative. These are living, breathing people. Candidates are inherently more complex and variable. Are they qualified? What does it mean to be qualified for a given office? Will they do what they say they're going to do? Are they a person of character? You mostly don't get to meet your representatives in person... but maybe we should make that a higher priority. Voting for a person, at some point, is putting faith into a stranger that they'll serve your best interests.

So why vote, when both propositions and people can be dubious? Because it's the mechanism by which we govern ourselves in a fair, free society. It's the most important thing we can do as citizens of our community, our state, our country, and our planet. Voting is hard, and it isn't fun. That's not why we do it. We vote because it's our responsibility as members of this species. To vote is to seize one's agency for change. By voting, we can change the world.