Over the years there has been a decline in the total voter turnout when it comes to the
presidential election. From a voter turnout of 62.77% in the early 1960s to a percentage of 54.87%
in 2012 during the United States’ presidential elections, the number is steadily decreasing. But
why?
According to sciencenewsforstudents.org, a few reasons for this noticeable drop is a lack of education, no variety when it comes to party choices, difficulty when registering to vote and an overall lack of interest. These are just a few of the excuses given when it comes to Americans denying their right to directly impact the future of their country. These elections are advertised for months with numerous debates, candidates spending millions of dollars on their campaign and of course the countless ads that either slander the opposing side or praise the name of another candidate. Even locally there is a ton of effort put into making sure that these elections are a success. Community organizations pool together funds and resources to host events in honor of their favored candidate with the expectation that they can sway the public in favor of their preferred candidate. So with all of this stress put into electing the “right” person, maybe people should take voting into more consideration.
The act of voting is important to U.S. citizens because without it we would be living in a socialist society. According to dailydot.com, this means that “socialism is a political ideology that advocates for an egalitarian redistribution of wealth and power in society through the redistribution of society’s means of production (or means of making money).” While the definition might sound like a socialist society is a good thing, it is quite the contrary. If the U.S.A. became a purely socialist society this would mean that the government would be focusing on the thought that people are always good to each other, which is simply not the case. This would lead to this, already divided, country falling apart even more, people turning on each other and the fragile state of assuredness that the country is currently in.
So yes, it is extremely important for people to get out and vote. It is their right but it should also be their personal obligation to do what is right and service their country. By putting the right people into office one can easily impact their future. These candidates are the people that make the laws that govern us and allow us to act in a way that makes us feel free. These are the people that can sign away our rights or grant us another day of freedom in the land of the free. As a citizen of the United States of America you should feel led to participate in the voting process simply because it is what makes the U.S.A. the country that it is.
During the Civil Rights Movement, many people fought, suffered and bled for an individual’s right to travel to the polls. One cannot forget Bloody Sunday’s march across the Edmund Pettus bridge, the March on Washington and even the Women’s Suffrage Procession. None of these acts were in vain. These historical events took place because those involved saw a reason to pave a way so that others could do what they were not allowed to do, which was vote.