Voting

In the United States during various elections, the turnout is often reported to be low and there are several reasons as to why there is always voter apathy. The first reason is that registration takes work. Being registered as voter in the US is not automatic as one needs to go to an official site such as library or the government office and then they have to fill out paperwork. In 2004 and 2008 presidential election where there was a one-stop shop, the voter turnout was great (Brookshire, 2019).

Another reason is education. Education level has proved to be a factor has studies has shown someone with a college degree is likely to vote as compared to a person without a degree. People with college degrees are likely to be more politically informed thus able to participate. When people are not conversant with what happens in politics they may decide not to engage in voting. People familiar with the political process and what the parties they support vouch for will participate in the voting process and most are often educated.

Another reason why people do not vote is because in the United States there are only two parties. You either have to vote for Democrats or Republicans. These two parties are limiting and their ideas as well as manifestos have remained the same for quite so many years. There are other parties that exist but make no much impact including Libertarians and Green Party. Most people end up not voting for people but rather parties and some feel that even if they vote their vote may have no impact (Khalid, 2018).

The friends that we have and social groups is also another reason that can affect whether one votes or not. According to Eyal Winter he states that voting is always used as a tool to allow others to know who we are. There are some people who don’t care about politics this therefore leads to voters apathy. When a certain social group doesn’t consider politics to be important, the members of the group may not bother to vote.

Ways in which the turnout can be increased is by improving the representativeness of voters and this can be done by providing information to the citizens about the candidates’ positions. When the people get to acquire information about those who are vying and their positions, also sharing their agendas with them will encourage an increase in the number of those who will turn up to vote. The idea of a one-stop shop may also be returned so that people may be able to vote as well as register.

Another suggestion is by holding elections on weekends so that people may get to turn up. Many people don’t go to work on weekends this therefore means that there are many people who will be at home thus making it possible for a large number to turn up for voting. There should also be an improved access to polls which can be done by increasing the number of possible locations for voting and also reducing the time that the voters will spend waiting in line.

Party politics also should not be that big of a deal. People should feel comfortable electing a Republican President because their manifestos suits ones needs and also they can elect a Senator who is a democrat. Often in American politics most people are forced to support Republican or Democrat leaders from top to bottom and at times these leaders do not represent what one stands for. Other political parties should also be given just as much attention as the two major parties so that people may have choices.

Compulsory voting is sometimes claimed to violate a certain right not to vote. Some may assume this right is a fundamental as the right to vote. The existence of this right, however, has attracted little continuous attention. We argue that forcing those who are not interested in participating to vote will bring about a low turnout. Every citizen can decide by themselves whether to vote or it is not compulsory is always by choice therefore whether one votes or not the decision and reason is known by himself or herself and therefore they should not be judged.

References

Brookshire, Bethany. “4 Reasons Why Many People Don’t Vote.” Science News for Students, 3 Dec. 2019, www.sciencenewsforstudents.org/article/4-reasons-why-many-people-dont-vote.

Khalid, Asma, et al. “On The Sidelines Of Democracy: Exploring Why So Many Americans Don’t Vote.” NPR, NPR, 10 Sept. 2018, www.npr.org/2018/09/10/645223716/on-the-sidelines-of-democracy-exploring-why-so-many-americans-dont-vote.

“One-Stop Shop: Students Can Register to Vote While Choosing Classes.” Georgetown University, 4 Nov. 2019, www.georgetown.edu/news/one-stop-shop-students-can-register-to-vote-while-choosing-classes/.