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The extension of the right to vote and the elimination of limitations to vote have been progressively achieved in the United States. Initially, in the 1800s only white men and property owners over the age of 21 could vote. From the year 1971 to the present, every person aged 18 or over, whether a Citizen, a resident of a State and not a criminal convicted, has the right to vote. Likewise, Also, over the years, the participation of the population in voting has changed. For example, in the year 1896, 80% of the electoral population exercised their right to vote, while in 2008 the voters´ percentage was 61%, even though the population with the right to vote has increased. One of the possible causes of non-participation in the elections was indicated
Should America have compulsory voting? In my opinion, compulsory voting is a good way to increase the voting turnout. People currently don't like to vote because they don't have the time, or are just too lazy. If the government gives them an incentive then they will be happy to take time off to vote. Also, a reason to fear not to vote should be installed, like an annoying fine. When only a few people vote, the voter satisfaction is low. But when everyone puts their idea in, the satisfaction rises because the actual majority will win.
Since the turn of the twenty first century, in Canada voter turnout has made a significant and consecutive decline. In the last five federal elections on average only sixty-one per cent of eligible voters voted. If each eligible citizen voted in an election the government would be on par with the primary interests of the people. The easiest way to achieve this objective is by implementing a compulsory voting system. Mandatory voting systems are appealing because all citizens are affected by decisions made by the government, so it makes sense to have all those affected apart of the election process. As a result, the voting results would be more representative of the country and that would lead to an increase of stability and legitimacy. It would also be beneficial to Canadians because would cause political parties to address and focus on the needs of every socio-economic level. However, one of biggest problems that accompanies mandatory voting laws is that the choice to exercise the right to vote is taken away. Another primary concern about compulsory voting is that a large number of uninterested and uninformed voters are brought to the polls. Conversely, uninformed voters will become familiar with and learn the polling procedures and electoral system over time and uninterested voters are not forced to mark a name on the ballot. Compulsory voting laws would only make registration and attendance at the polls mandatory, not voting itself. Therefore the freedom to exercise the right to vote or not is still intact. A greater emphasis on alternate voting practices may be established such as electronic or online voting. Positive changes would not only be evident in the policies of political parties but also in the voting procedure. Th...
"Miller light and bud light…either way you end up with a mighty weak beer!" This is how Jim Hightower (a Texan populist speaker) described the choices that the U.S. electorate had in the 2000 elections. This insinuates that there is a clear lack of distinction between the parties. Along with numerous others, this is one of the reasons why the turnout is so low in the U.S. elections. In trying to explain the low figures at the U.S. elections, analysts have called American voters apathetic to indifferent to downright lazy. I disagree that the 50% (in recent elections) of voters that fail to turnout to vote are lazy and that they have just reason not too. I will also show that the problem lies within the system itself in that the institutional arrangements, electoral and governmental, do not create an environment that is conducive to mass participation. I will address these main issues and several others that have an effect on voter participation. In doing so I will compare America to other established democracies.
Among the many ways Americans can participate in politics, voting is considered one of the most common and important ways for Americans to get involved. The outcome of any election, especially at the national level, determines who will be making and enforcing the laws that all Americans must abide by. With this in mind one might assume that all Americans are active voters, but studies show the voter turnout is actually astonishingly low. With this unsettling trend it is important to know what statistics say about voter turnout as was as the four major factors that influence participation: Socioeconomic status, education, political environment, and state electoral laws, in order to help boost turnout in future elections.
Legal constraints-scholars interested in the variation in turnout across the American states have focused on laws regulating registration and voting. The most important of these laws restrictions on who may vote, such as the poll tax, Property ownership requirements, or the outright exclusion of African Americans and women. Although these restrictions disappeared some time ago, other barriers to registration and voting persisted, and some remain in effect today. However, nearly all of these restrictions have been changed by amendments to constitution, state and national laws, rulings by the U.S Department of Justice, and judicial decisions.
Voting is one of the citizens’ rights living in a country. In the past, not everyone can vote. Voting used to be for only white American men. However, our ancestors fought for that rights. Eventually, any American who are older than eighteen can vote, despite their race or gender. In addition, voter turnout is used to keep track of the voting. It is the percentage of eligible voters who cast a ballot in an election. Unfortunately, the voter turnout has been decreasing over time, and it means that there are less and fewer people who actually show up and vote. This essay will discuss the voter turnout in Harris County, Texas.
Since the establishment of our great country, Americans utilized the ballot box as a freedom of expression. Voting is a basic right that many of us take for granted, some even viewing it as a “God given right.” As citizens, we expect the right to vote. Many oblivious to the fact that voting is a privilege that can be revoked. The process, commonly referred to as disenfranchisement, is the principle reason for my summary. Today more than ever, one of America's post-election concerns is voter turnout. Usually, the numbers are bleak, especially during local elections. As a society, we cannot afford to turn our back on one of the pillars of a democracy. If elected officials are to represent segments of voters, then people from all lifestyles need to be able to participate in the process. As a Republic, our elected officials carry the message of their constituents, uniting many voices into one. This is not the case for some segments of society. Major findings show that over an estimated 5.2 million Americans have lost the right to vote. (Lance 2008) Many of these Americans are members of minority groups. The process that makes disenfranchisement possible has been in practice for centuries. The law states that once you have become a felon you lose your right to vote. This applies even after their release into society. Further aggravating the issue is society’s current tough stance on lawbreakers, which has converted what were once misdemeanors into felonies. The result has been record amounts of prison inmates across the United States, resulting in millions of Americans who hold no voice in their future. The argument made is that these men and women have been reduced to living in the shadows of society. On the other si...
Americans pride themselves over living in a representative democracy, a republic in which citizens have an influence on the government. A representative democracy entails the differentiating views of all of its citizens being represented equally rather than a select few. Citizens are able to influence the government by electing representatives, they believe would foremost embody their beliefs. Voting in the United States has not invariably been a liberty granted to all citizens. Historically, white men of elite status were the sole citizens authorized vote--however--with the ratification with amendments such as: the Fifteenth, Nineteenth, and Twenty-Sixth, voting in the United States is more readily accessible to its citizens. Although countless American citizens are eligible to vote, a profuse amount do not participate in elections. Congressional elections face some of the lowest voter turnout rate. Seeing as the legislative branch of government is the closest to the public, Congress is more susceptible of being impacted by low voter
Since 1912, only about 50 to 65 percent of Americans have voted in presidential elections and still fewer in other elections: 40 to 50 percent in off-year congressional elections and as few as 10 to 20 percent in primaries and minor local elections, although the exact number depends on how turnout is measured (Greenberg, and Page, 2009). Voter turnout started dropping at the end of the nineteenth century, reaching the 60 percent level by the election of 1912 (Teixeira, 1987). The right to vote, originally quite limited, was. expanded in various historical surges to include nearly all adults and to apply to most major offices. Turnout is lower than it was in the late nineteenth century in the US and lower than in other democratic countries, it has continued to decrease, not including the recent presidential elections (Greenberg, and Page, 2009).
Democracy is the ablity to have a voice in government , however not a direct voice.This indirect voice is best represented through the leaders that ones sees best fit.So how do americans get their voice across? The answer is simple , and that is through voting and political particapation.The right to vote was a long haul, in the 1800s only landowning white males where allowed to vote.Over time with the demand for change, blacks were allowed to vote and slowy but surely women were allow to vote.Currently in the United States of America in order vote you must be 18 years or older and a U.S citizen.This essay will explore the prilvage of voting, why voters tend to vote and why not and if voting can be considered rational.
The right to vote is one of the most highly esteemed freedoms available to citizens in a democracy. For decades, political scientists have deliberated why so many Americans choose not to exercise their right to vote and to take part in the democratic process. Americans in cities, in particular, vote overwhelmingly less than they do in suburban and rural areas. While political scientists have often explained lower voter turnout as a consequence of a lack of education, low income, age, declining trust in government, and uncompetitive elections, only a few have studied the time costs associated with voting (Baretto, 445; Haspel and Knotts, 561). Even though fifty years have passed since the Voting Rights Act enfranchised marginalized citizens across America, the costs associated with voting continually prevent equal access to the ballot. One substantial cost for voting is a citizen’s ability to
When the constitution was adopted in 1787, voting rights mainly resided with protestant, white, property-holding men (“Who Got the Right to Vote When?”). Through the next few centuries basic voting rights have improved significantly, with the 15th amendment in 1870 and the Voting Rights Act in 1965 providing African Americans with the right to vote, and the 19th amendment giving the vote in 1920 (“Who Got the Right to Vote When?”). However many political inequalities still exist today, including those in regards to race, education, and income, which ultimately results in feelings of representation. In terms of voting, there are many barriers that stop potential voters from expressing their basic voting rights. Voter ID laws that require a valid form photo identification discriminate against those who lack or can’t afford the ID, which particularly hurts minority, poor, and young voters. Black and Hispanic citizens are three times as likely not to have the necessary ID in order to vote (Weeks). Additionally, long waits at the polls deter those who do not have the time or patience to wait in line, and these waits disproportionally hurt minority voters (Weeks). In the 2012 election, black and Hispanic voters needed to wait more than 20 minutes on average, which was about twice as long as the
To lower the voting age only seems like a good idea. "According to a U.S. Census Bureau report, only 38% of voters in the 18 - 24 age group voted in 2012". "In 2012, 62% of the youngest voters showed disinterest in the political process by not voting". Having younger voters would be beneficial as long as, we can have better turnouts. America ranks at the bottom of developed nations in turnout. If we can't even get the legal aged citizens to vote, How do we expect to get younger people to? One would think that pushing the headline that " Your vote matters." , would drive everyone to make a change. To have there voice heard. I unfortunately can't see a good enough reason to not give our young ones a chance to make a difference. "Austria, One
As lowering the voting age is, and will be an ongoing issue for years to come, we must consider that at an age so young, is one really ready to let youth make such valuable decisions. The system of mandatory voting thus increases the turnout ra...
Almost all citizens of the United States are given the privilege to vote in elections. Many countries do not give their people this important say in government decisions, but our democratic nation does. The Federal Government steps in to protect certain broad issues: race, sex, and age(“Right to Vote”). These Amendments were created to protect citizens’ rights to vote and take part in decision making. Almost all adults have the right to vote, one must be at least eighteen years of age to vote in federal elections and ex-convicts lose their privilege to participate in