The Importance of Voting

Written in 1781, ratified in 1788, and in operation since 1789, the United States Constitution is the supreme law of the land. Every right we have today can be chalked up to the Constitution which safeguards our liberty.

One of the most important rights of American citizens is suffrage or the right to vote. Voting is one of the defining features of democracy and American citizenship.The right to vote ensures that citizens can have a say in their government and that governments are accountable to the people. Without the right to vote, the government could very easily discount the grievances and opinions of citizens.

Large chunks of the American population were prevented from voting throughout America’s history. The Constitution originally allowed only wealthy white male citizens age 21 or over to vote. Poor whites, African Americans, and women gained suffrage much later.

During the Jacksonian Era, property requirements were gradually abolished so that all white men could vote. However, African Americans obtained a constitutionally protected right to vote with the Fifteenth Amendment in 1870. Women obtained this right even later with the Nineteenth Amendment in 1920.

Before minorities were given the right to vote, it was exceedingly difficult for them to get politicians to enact legal change in their favor, since they weren’t part of the electorate. Politicians didn’t have to care about them because their positions were dependent on a select group of people.

It is easy then to see how voting gives citizens ample power. By virtue of voting, elected officials are forced to recognize citizen’s demands to continue to be elected. Elected officials are more than aware of who votes and who doesn’t. It’s no secret that politicians will campaign in select areas that will give them a greater chance of reelection. If your community has a low voter turnout, elected officials are going to pay less attention to your community compared to others that have higher voter turnouts. As a result, politicians will take little action to advocate your community’s demands.

Why People Don't Vote

People tend to disregard voting because they believe that their vote doesn’t matter. When millions of people across the country are voting, it’s easy to believe that you don’t need to vote or that your vote won’t change anything. There are a couple of reasons why that is a problematic way of thinking. The first reason is that it discourages voting. No one would show up to vote if they believed that other people could just vote in their stead. The second is that a person who has this mindset has to rely on others to vote for them. It is not wise to rely on other voters because you don’t know what they will vote for. They could easily vote in favor of something you disapprove of.

Close elections in U.S. history underline the impact that voting can have. The most famous was the disputed 2000 presidential election between Al Gore and George W. Bush. The election came down to Florida where the voting margin was extremely small. In the end, Bush won Florida by only 0.009% of the votes cast in the state or 537 votes. It would have taken only 600 more pro-Gore voters to participate in the election for there to be an entirely different president. The presidential election of 2000 is a constant reminder of the power of voting.

Conclusion

Individually your vote may not seem to matter, but collectively it can change everything. Only by taking charge and actively voting can you ensure your government is responsive to you.

References

MassVote. (2019). Why should you vote. MassVote. https://www.massvote.org/importance-of-voting

Maxwell, K. J. (2015). Voting. The New Book of Knowledge. Scholastic. http://nbk.grolier.com/ncpage?tn=/encyc/article.html&id=a2031120-h&type=0ta

National Geographic. (2020). Why voting is important. National Geographic.

https://www.nationalgeographic.org/article/why-voting-important/

United States Government. (n.d.). Elections and voting. The White House. https://www.whitehouse.gov/about-the-white-house/our-government/elections-and-voting/