Many United States citizens on election date choose not to vote for any of the candidates. In the United States, mandatory voting is not a law like in other countries, and this has been an argument for many years. People think elections cannot be fair if a group of individuals fails to go out and exercise their right to vote.
The Problems with Voting in America If one were to look at the voting history as of late in America you would surely find information on the Florida catastrophe in 2000. The problem with our voting system today is in the technology being used; many demographic groups find our current
The reasons why many Americans do not vote America is a free country, and voting is an important part of that freedom. Unlike other countries where dictators and monarchs make decisions on behalf of the people, Americans get the right to decide who runs the country and what laws should govern citizens. But even though voting is an important privilege, most Americans simply don't vote, and some of their reasons may surprise you. Here are seven common reasons most Americans don't vote.
The voting rate in America has been very low the past few elections. There are many reasons people feel that people aren’t going to the polls to vote. For example so people believe that its because the people running for positions of power aren’t the the best so nobody votes. Other people believe that its or right as Americans to go to the polls on election day. Forcing People to go vote on election day is not democratic because we are given the freedom to do what we want.
Mandatory voting in America should be implied in the political system. Countries such as Australia and Belgium have already enforced this law on its people, and have had great results in the increasing turnout of voters going to polls. In excess of seventy years in Australia, voters have been obliged to appear to survey Election Day. Disappointment to show up causes a fine of up to fifteen dollars. Australian races since mandatory voting was implemented the turnout has reached an amount of ninety percent and above. Australian citizens have gotten use to showing up to polls and voting that it is a common obligation in their lives. (Ornstein) Based on this statistic mandatory voting has a clear effect. It raises participation rates this would also prompt more Americans to pay attention to which candidate to vote for. Mandatory voting will help change the political system of the United States, which will lead to different political culture and ultimately increase voter-turnout. As well as engage the citizens of our nation to vote who they feel is necessary. Money is also a big issue in becoming a president or even getting people to notice a candidate. Billions of dollars go into these campaigns, but if mandatory voting was enforced, this would lower the amount of money spent tremendously candidates can focus on debates and talk about a right path for our nation. Overall, mandatory voting would create a stronger, smarter, and more democratic United States of America.
Throughout the years many Americans have faced what is known as voter suppression. When researching voter suppression you will find that it is defined as a strategy to influence the outcome of an election by discouraging or preventing those with voting rights from voting. I interpret that the causes of voter suppression derives from that of equality issues or a misconception of government. However, history recorded the effects of voter suppression which leads to major violence, rebellion, strikes, or in some cases fear. The jarring act of voter suppression began early as 1776 when white men owning property were allowed to vote denying Jews, Catholics, and others their voting rights.
The weakening of our political parties Unlike parties in many other countries, political parties in the U.S. are relatively weak in terms of their ability to mobilize voters to register and ultimately vote on election- day. This inability to mobilize voters has direct correlation to the fact that membership and affiliation in political
Causes of Low Electoral Participation in the United States In any Democracy, voter turnout is important as a measure of how truly democratic the election was, the more people that do vote, the more democratic the election. Yet America one of the largest democratic nations in the world still has a poor turnout. A survey conducted in 1983 concluded that America was twenty third out of twenty four nations in respect of its voter turnout, with only Switzerland having a lower turnout, however researchers believe that the supposed voting age population contains a lot of people not eligible to vote, as much as 10%. According to Kenneth Dolbeare's research conducted in 1987, 67% of the In America there electoral system resembles a modified version of the British first past the post system therefore if you live in an electoral college that has voted Democrat time and time again, it may seem like a wasted vote if you support the Republicans. Also the success polls that are conducted from the very first primaries and caucuses right up to election day build voter apathy. Statistically those who do higher in these polls the better they will do in the election, assuming that people vote without partisan alignment, they aren't going to vote for a candidate who is unlikely to do well in the
Voter turnout in American is on of the lowest of the democratic countries. Totaling 60% of voter turnout when in Belgium the voter turnout is 90%. You maybe asking yourself why is the voter turnout so low in America. In this paper I will be explaining why it’s low along
A big question we face in America is, why dont American citizens vote? We have this amazing oportunity and some don't use it! Some Americans don't exercise their right to vote even though others fought so hard for it! So lets go over some reasons why some people might not vote. Americans sometimes have a negative view of government, maybe they don't believe their vote counts, or generational changes. I can understand why citizens have a negitive view on government, its hard having a positive view when not everyone gets their way, well that's not how the world works. To address people who do not believe their vote count, thats their own problem. They should probably educate themselves. For the generation changes, they say that the younger generations
In my opinion, I believe that low voter turnout is problematic for U.S. democracy. I believe that should be viewed as a symptom of an unhealthy democracy because it essentially represents a democracy where the people do not believe in the system that is established, they do not believe that their vote actually matters, or they do not feel informed or comfortable to make their voice heard. These are just a few of the potential reasons for why there is such a low voter turnout in the U.S.
Historically, local elections usually have very low turnouts, though most people are usually more directly affected by their local legislatures than the president. Because the turnout is low, there is little to no coverage on those local elections; therefore, people are not aware of the different positions that each candidate holds. This makes associating with one particular candidate even more difficult for the voters, which creates a vicious cycle, perpetuating the low turnout.
Another way to address low voter turnout is to lump elections together. According to a text (Dye & MacManus, 2015), when city and county elections are held separately from national elections they usually produce turnouts of 25 to 35 percent. When local voter turnout is low the implications extend much further than the ballot box. American lives are busy and continue to get busier each year, that’s why some states have adopted a vote by mail system. A vote by mail system would eliminate the need to get to a polling place during certain hours and wait in long lines. According to an article (Office of the Comptroller City of New York, 2016), Washington saw significant and immediate increases in turnout after transitioning to all mail elections
There have been various controversies revolving around voting in America. Some of these controversial topics have been about who to vote for, and some have been about who should have the privilege to vote. As of right now in America, anyone who is eighteen years or older, a citizen of the United States, and meets the residency requirements of his or her state can vote. America did not always take this path for voting. In some instances, people could not vote due to their race, gender, or age.
I wouldn't necessarily illuminate on the idea that officials themselves contribute to voter apathy. What I would argue is that a lack of democracy is the fundamental problem which causes voter apathy. The United States, despite all of its federalism and extensive local government, is one of the most striking examples of limited democracy. The two party system and the dominance of money keep independents gridlocked into voting for either a centrist Democratic Party or a Republican Party whose politics straddle a fine line between ultra-conservatism and reactionary populism. No wonder people don’t want to vote. With limited policy options, a lack of public influence, money issues, and a focus on personality, people become seriously turned off