Many people think of the 206 million eligible voters in the United States and think, “How could one vote possibly make a difference?” Or perhaps some find themselves too busy, while other non-voters are simply uninterested in politics. With a combination of all excuses, about 75 million people that were eligible to vote in the 2008 presidential election chose not to. That’s 75 million unheard voices! 75 million unrepresented individuals make up approximately 36% of all eligible voters. That number of people could easily change the outcome of an election. When put in perspective and fully understood, it’s realized just how important it is for every eligible voter to vote, and do so responsibly. The significance of voting is commonly misunderstood. Voting determines things from the president of the United States, to a small town mayor, to representatives, which all in turn determine everything from war, to taxes, to a child’s education. This country was politically formed into something previously unknown to the world, and with citizenship to this great country and democracy, comes great responsibility. It is a right as U.S. citizens to choose to vote or not; however, it is a duty and obligation to do so, for the sake of those who have fought, for friends and family, and for this country as a whole.
Look at other countries that don’t have the freedoms the U.S has. It’s a great and rare opportunity to be heard and respected by one’s country, but only by voicing individual views through voting can a democracy function. As Walter H. Judd said, “People often say that, in a democracy, decisions are made by a majority of the people. Of course, this is not true. Decisions are made by a majority of those who make themselves heard and who v...
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... nation. Every person must understand how important his or her vote is. Don’t fall in to the third of non-voters; take the right to vote to heart, become informed about people and issues so you may contribute to the common good and to making the United States the best it can be.
Works Cited
Akande, Adewale. "The Importance of Voting in a Truly Democratic Society." globalpolitician.com. N.p., July 7, 2011. Web. January 20, 2014.
Brewster, Ben. "The Importance of Voting to Democracy." sec.state.vt.us. N.p., May
25, 2009. Web. January 22, 2014.
Granholm, J.M. (2009, February) Quotes on Leadership Readers digest, 180.
Jones, Solomon. "Why You Should Vote Today." newsworkss.org. N.p., May 11, 2013.
Web. January 19, 2014.
Rich, Judith. "Does Your Vote Really Matter?." huffingtonpost.com. N.p., October 31,
2012. Web. January 20, 2014.
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