Post WWII Voter Turnout

Voting has not always been as easy as it is today. It is interesting to examine how far America has progressed in its process of allowing different types of people to be able to vote. Voting was once aimed at a particular group of people, which were white males that owned their own property. Today, most people over the age of eighteen can vote, except for the mentally incompetent or people who have been convicted of major felonies in some states. The decline of voter participation has always been a debate in the public arena. According to McDonald and Popkin, it is “the most important, most familiar, most analyzed, and most conjectured trend in recent American political history (2001, 963)” The question is, how important is voter

To every political system there are many positives and negatives and one critique of compulsory voting systems is that informal and uninterested voting is increased. It has been advocated that compulsory voting brings a large amount of “uninterested voters” to the polls and in turn cast votes that are clearly inconsistent with their own political values compared to those who are more informed and motivated voluntary voters (Selb and Latchat, 2009). In this case the primary concern is when people are forced to vote they will either pick a candidate at random or spoil their ballot which consequently, does not make the outcome of the election representative of the people’s interests. If certain individuals are not interested in politics they should not be forced to contribute in one of the most salient political statements practiced in Canada (Selb and Latchat, 2009). They have the right to choose their level of political participation.

Participation is key! There is nothing difficult about voting, so why don't more people take part in it? More importantly, what can be done to correct this issue?

It is worth a little of both our time and our energy to exercise the right to vote, and that personal investment should serve to make us a bit more conscious of the value of that

This would be meant to give a conviction to the potential voters that they are indeed different and they can provide practical solutions. It is also the responsibility of the Americans to oppose voter suppression attempts among other aspects. This would be through demanding an automatic voter registration. Furthermore, voters should pressure the candidates to put forward visions that are of benefit to the middle and the lower class. Practically, people would participate in politics more in politics if they feel that the government plays a more beneficial role in their lives(Lerner,

Over the last few decades, we have seen a shift in voter participation, and involvement in the election arena rather it be national, state, and or local levels. According to Time Magazine, 2014 mid-terms voter turnout was at a 72 year low. At only 36.4% of U.S, eligible voters voted in 2014 mid-terms, down from 40.9% that voted in 2010 mid-terms. Analyst views the decline as the “millennial generation” coming into effect, which clearly indicates the age group (18-33) seems to have a significantly lower turnout rate compare to the older age groups. With less participation in state and local elections, we now face decisions such as elections in South Carolina being cancelled if the incumbent as no challenge, according to Cindi Scoppe associate editor at “The State”. This doesn’t provide ample explanation considering that the mid-terms elections do in fact represent a significant portion of state-level elections, which ultimately allows individuals to experience policies being implemented at a much greater effect. So the questions arise are we happy with single file candidates ascending to the elected office with no election? Is it the lack of interest or it doesn’t matter who’s in the seat? What does this say about the public responsibility for electing these people as our representatives to make decisions that impact our daily lives?

In “Race and Beyond: Why Young, Minority, and Low-Income Citizens Don’t Vote,” Sam Fulwood claims, “Regardless of whether a favored candidate won or popular ballot initiative passed, our nation suffered because of the number of people who didn’t vote at all” (par. 2). I agree with Sam Fulwood and I believe it is so unfortunate that Americans don’t use this right. Voting is one of the most valuable possessions that Americans are given and yet they do not use. Many of the countries around the world do not grant voting rights to their citizens. These countries either have a dictatorship or kingdom which prevents citizens from voting. People need to understand the sufferings of those people who struggled for this right. When the United States

In this essay, I would like to discuss the major obstacles to voting, recent changes to overcome voting barriers and the political influence of changed rules. Low turnout in the U.S. reflects that there are obstacles for people to voting and changes to overcome these obstacles may also bring new problems to different social groups. I will elaborate on these aspects in the following parts.

Recently modern campaigning has had major effects on voter turnout. Concluded from presidential campaigns and geographic research many voters have begun participating more due to the modern campaigning. Andrew Gelman Washington Post writer, states that research found from Enos and Fowler that in the 2012 election from there on examples of modern campaigning was heavily illustrated when the voting population began expanding. The campaigning focused more on personalizing individuals through the traditional door knocking and making phone calls. Also, mentioned was the higher turnout in battleground states due to the campaigning affecting their voter turnout as well.

“If voting changed anything, they'd make it illegal.” (Emma Goldman). Many people that are not nearly as well educated as Emma Goldman share a similar belief when it comes to the idea of voting. On many occasions we encounter the multitude of people who refuse to vote, or sometimes even register to vote because they feel as though their vote does not count. Many wonder where this belief stems from, but it is very simple: The main two reasons people feel as though their votes do not count are the Electoral College interference in voting, and the two-party system diminishing many of the values of the individual. In essence the only sensible way to increase voter turnout and political involvement from American citizens is to diminish both the power of the Electoral College, and the long-standing establishment of the two party system.

     Are you a registered voter? You might expect a high rate of voting in the United States. A lot of people – women, African Americans, and the poor – fought for the right to vote; certainly their descendents would want to exercise their right to vote. I want to discuss with you today the importance of voting. There are three important aspects of voting. The first aspect is the group of people that fail to vote, the second is why there is such a low turnout, and finally is the voters’ attitude. Voting should be a sacred right held by each American citizen. In fact, the voting turnout in the United States is remarkably low. A few years ago, over 100 countries were ranked on turnout; Americans were ranked

Today, not every age bracket has an equal say in voting. Due to a lack in young adult voting, older age groups dominate the amount of people that vote (Document B). Unfortunately, older age groups may not be thinking far into the future in the same way young adults are, as young adults will be truly experiencing the far future. By implementing mandatory voting, young adults will become involved in their own futures and create change. Furthermore, a majority of countries with compulsory voting are highly adapted to modern society, like Belgium and Australia (Document A). With adopting obligatory voting, the United States and its citizens will be able to catch up with the

The total amount percentage of the voting rate has been decreasing every year, simply because citizens who are eligible to vote do not have enough time on their hands to vote. “During the last municipal elections in 2011, a meager 19 percent of eligible voters showed up at the polls,” according to Jessie Carpenter (Shin). Teens believe that if they are allowed to cast a vote, it will make a major difference in elections and have a much better impact. Voter apathy has been a worldwide problem with citizens because many do not vote due to the fact that they have a job and are not allowed to leave because they really need that money or because they must attend school. One of the

The United States’ democracy is threatened by uninformed electorates who are not wholly educated on candidates, the voting system, or politics in general. While people may have the basic understanding of politics, it isn’t enough to vote wisely. Ironically, this is a society where people can be more fixated on celebrities than political officials- who help the government function. Everyone should be prepared and completely educated before voting. Doing the right thing for the country is not by simply voting, but doing it correctly. This is a crucial and concerning matter that people should reflect on, because it affects the state of our government and their future lives.

Despite popular opinion that the United States is the greatest democracy in the world, we have shockingly low voter turnout compared to international standards (Desilver). A complicated registration process and strict restrictions on voting consistently discourage and inhibit Americans from exercising their right to vote. Despite this, lawmakers continue to push for and often pass unnecessary legislation limiting the ways in which citizens can register and cast their ballot. Certain demographics are the most likely to be hindered by this kind of legislation, including young people, poor people, and people of color. Politicians often use claims of voter fraud as an excuse to systematically hinder these marginalized groups from participating in the democratic process, despite being unable to back up those claims with any kind of concrete evidence. The limiting of voting rights for young and minority populations is often blatantly politically motivated. Continuing to pile restrictions and obstacles onto our electoral process is not only unnecessary, it is contradictory to democratic values. There should be a shift in the focus of voting legislation towards expanding the ways in which citizens can participate in elections and away from limiting them, which would both increase voter turnout and ensure that all people have an equal voice in our government.