When I was a small child, I remember sitting and listening, awestruck, as my great-grandfather recalled tales of his war experience. Once, his plane went down in the Pacific Ocean, and he survived for a week, floating in a crate on the ocean with no food, fresh water, or way to contact help. He very nearly died. Blessedly, he was rescued and escorted to safety. After hearing this, I had a newfound gratefulness that he not only had served his country, but that he made it home to his family. Unfortunately, many do not make it back home, many of which were brave soldiers fighting for our right to vote; a privilege that we often take for granted, or even do not wish to do. We are so absorbed in our own lives, only concerned with that latest television …show more content…
Every year, United States citizens flood to the ballots to input their opinion on a vital issue, ranging from presidential elections to local and state decisions. However, in recent years, voter attendance has drastically fallen. In the 2016 presidential election, the voter turnout was only 58%. (telegraph.org) It is fundamental that we recognize the significance and importance of voting, not only for ourselves but for our country. Currently, there are more than 80 million people who cannot vote. Their governments are arbitrary, capricious, and unreasonable, and they have no voice in which to change this. Voting is not only a right. Voting is a privilege, a privilege that roughly more than 58,000 Americans died for to observe in our country. It is contemptuous to their memories and their families to not attend the polls. Though the United States have not accepted a compulsory voting policy, this may just hold the predetermination we require. By hosting mandatory elections, they would generate truly valid results. With all of the able bodied Americans voting, the results could not be skewed by lack of attendance. Many Americans cannot vote because they are not able to reach the
The right to vote, especially in a democracy, is a big deal. It’s one of the biggest ways that citizens can express how they feel about their government and what people they feel should lead it. New democracies that hold elections tend to have high voter turnout and enthusiasm. In America, we have one of the oldest democracies, and yet since World War 2, we haven’t had a presidential election with 65% or more of registered voters. The lack of voters makes it difficult to determine if our government is legitimate and really what the people want. Many ideas have been presented to help with solving this issue, but the most controversial has to be required voting. Citizens would have to vote, and if they don’t, they’d have to face some sort of consequence. In my opinion, required voting goes against what we stand for as a democracy, and our right to choose. Americans shouldn’t be required to vote because we have the right not to, and because of the increase in uninformed voting, unfavorable attitudes & political dissatisfaction.
One often misinterprets the true meaning of war, believing it is only a dispute that is ended through fighting. In fact, war is more than just fighting. It is a battle where many brave souls lose their lives for protecting the country they love. Many of the rights we have today would not have been possible without the sacrifice of many brave American soldiers. Instead of living in a tranquil and prosperous nation, we could be living in a nation that resembles countries such as Africa, living under poor conditions and extreme poverty. It is imperative to take into consideration that the veterans we have today have made an impact on our nation and we owe much of our respect to them. Not many people have the courage to take on the heavy and overwhelming duty of going to war, knowing that death is imminent. Along with that, many of them have experienced traumatizing moments that have scarred them for life. Because of this, there is much appreciation and respect inclined towards
What is more American than voting? This right has been fought for by many groups and people throughout the life of our country. From the people in our history books to the everyday person fighting for their rights, voting has been yearned for by many. However, even with voting being such a big deal, voter turnout is low for America and still there are some Americans who can’t vote. With so much being done throughout the years to get the vote to Americans, we’d expect high voter turnout and everyone being able to vote, but that isn’t true and it needs to change. We should make voting required as turnout will rise, more people would get involved in the government, and more people will be able to vote.
The United States of America is a democracy type of country, yet many Americans don’t vote. Many Americans haven’t voted in the presidential election since World War ll. No more than 65% of american citizens have registered to vote. A question that has been asked is if americans should be required to vote and I think that they shouldn’t be required to vote.
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
America is facing an all-time low in voter participation. Since 2014 the voting population has decreased by “thirty-six and four-tenths percent” (DelReal). Many theories explain the stigma of voting in America. According to the Wolfgang “the leading theory is: many minority voters are discriminated upon and do not believe their vote will count.” Many laws created infringe on the rights of Americans, however, when citizens do not vote the government seizes control on controversial issues , which in turn creates solutions that are less than satisfactory to the civilians.
America’s most recent debate focuses on mandatory voting and if it should be enforced in The Unites States. Of course many people have their doubts about this subject while others have already picked a side. Compulsory voting or “mandatory voting” is a system in which electors are obliged to vote in elections or attend a polling place on voting day. If an eligible voter does not attend a polling place, he or she may be subject to punitive measures such as fines or community service. But surely this subject is much more than just receiving votes for future elections; just like any other subject it must have its pros and its cons.
The United States of America is supposed to be a land of freedom where one can exercise the right to have various liberties that are not found in many other countries around the world. Among these liberties is the right to vote in a democratic government. Voting is a privilege in the United States that should not be taken for granted; many countries do not have the luxury of choosing who they want to represent them in government. Or if they do, they have in place a system that is called compulsory voting. Compulsory voting is a system in which voters are obligated to come to their designated polling place on Election Day to place a vote. If
The vote is arguably the most important form of political participation in the United States. The right to vote has been a goal for many groups of people since the country’s inception, a struggle for some that continues to this day. A constantly evolving debate, there are currently six amendments to the United States Constitution directly related to voting. In contradiction to the efforts of our predecessors to secure voting rights, voter turnout has declined over the years. There has been a clear trend in voter turnout when comparing various statistics. Many factors contribute to the declining turnout of voters in the United States. This paper will briefly explore a few major landmarks in the history of voting in the United States, the trends
Living in a nation based on democracy, where a citizen’s voice is the equivalent of casting a vote in political elections, the majority of American citizens eligible to vote do not participate in elections. The rationale behind voter non-participation varies among individuals and demographic groups; however, they all share a connection regarding their feelings towards their treatment by the country's political system. Minority voters such as blacks and hispanics are a demographic group highly faced with disenfranchisement in regards to political elections due to oppression. North Carolina’s Voter ID laws are a prime example of how minority voters are being shut out.
Since the United States of America established itself as its own self-governing country, one of the things that caused it to be salient and stand out from other countries is its relentless insistence on functioning as a democracy. Wars and protests have occurred so that every type of people, whether it was women or African Americans, may be granted the right to vote. Having a say in the American government is an honor and a privilege bestowed upon American citizens when they reach the age of eighteen. However, in recent years, statistics have shown that voter turnout and participation in recent elections has been rapidly and steadily declining, causing the United States to have the lowest voter participation in the world (“Is the System
Is there any way to increase voter turnout? Compulsory is a way to increase voter turnout. In 2016, only 57.9% of eligible voters voted. Should Americans be required to vote? In my opinion, Americans should not be required to vote. There are three reasons why Americans should not be required to vote: many young people don’t have time to vote, citizens have the liberty to choose vote or not, and people that’s inexperience have to vote will be dangerous.
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.
Voting is a vital portion of conducting everyday life. Americans have more freedom than many other people in countries around the globe; therefore, it is pertinent to express that freedom in many ways. Up until 1965 when the Voting Rights Act was signed into law, many people of color, gender, and all other classifications in the United States fell under one umbrella: not having the ability to vote. (massvote.org) As far as Americans having the ability to vote, 218,959,000 people have the eligibility to vote as of August 16th, 2015. Out of that significantly large number, 146,311,000 are actually registered to vote. (statisticbrain.com) This large gap in people with the eligibility to vote, and actual registered voters, is very alarming. As an American, it is the right and duty of a citizen to exercise all attainted rights by voting in all elections, even if the favored party seems to lose to no avail. (theodysseyonline.com)
Voting is an act of expression that holds the United States together as a whole. President Franklin D. Roosevelt stated, “Nobody will ever deprive the American people of the right to vote except the American people themselves and the only way they could do this is by not voting." Our government may not infringe on the people's right to vote, however the people themselves may neglect those rights by not exercising their right to vote. Americans live with the protections and rights that are documented in our Constitution and amendments. Freedom in a democracy is what empowers citizens to voice their opinions. The right to vote that activists fought and died for has given every day citizens the power to directly impact an election and the laws that govern us. Voting should not be mandatory because, it would take-away the history behind activist fighting for the right to vote, and will further diminish voters choice to not exercise their voting right.