Why do vote

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Back to Articles. In most cases, landowning white men were eligible to vote, while white women, black people, and other disadvantaged groups of the time were excluded from voting known as disenfranchisement. While no longer explicitly excluded, voter suppression is a problem in many parts of the country. Some politicians try to win reelection by making it harder for certain populations and demographics to vote. These politicians may use strategies such as reducing polling locations in predominantly African American or Lantinx neighborhoods, or only having polling stations open during business hours, when many disenfranchised populations are working and unable to take time off.

It was not until the 15 th Amendment was passed in that black men were allowed to vote. But even so, many would-be voters faced artificial hurdles like poll taxes, literacy tests, and other measures meant to discourage them from exercising their voting right.

This would continue until the 24 th Amendment in , which eliminated the poll tax, and the Voting Rights Act of , which ended Jim Crow laws. With these amendments removing the previous barriers to voting particularly sex and race , theoretically all American citizens over the age of 21 could vote by the mid s.

Later, in , the American voting age was lowered to 18, building on the idea that if a person was old enough to serve their country in the military, they should be allowed to vote. Why Your Vote Matters If you ever think that just one vote in a sea of millions cannot make much of a difference, consider some of the closest elections in U. The election came down to a recount in Florida, where Bush had won the popular vote by such a small margin that it triggered an automatic recount and a Supreme Court case Bush v.

In the end, Bush won Florida by 0. Had more pro-Gore voters gone to the polls in Florida that November, there may have been an entirely different president from — Your vote may not directly elect the president, but if your vote joins enough others in your voting district or county, your vote undoubtedly matters when it comes to electoral results.

There are also local and state elections to consider. While presidential or other national elections usually get a significant voter turnout, local elections are typically decided by a much smaller group of voters. A Portland State University study found that fewer than 15 percent of eligible voters were turning out to vote for mayors, council members, and other local offices. Low turnout means that important local issues are determined by a limited group of voters, making a single vote even more statistically meaningful.

And if someone better steps up to the plate, I'll be first in line to cast my ballot," he says. Young people often fall into this category, says Huddy, because they "follow news less closely and are more likely than older Americans to get their news from social media.

They do not feel especially well-informed about political candidates and think that the act of voting is more difficult than do older Americans. When measuring someone's propensity to vote, it "matters whether a person is interested in politics or sees politics as something central to their sense of self," he says. There are "lots of things we can care more or less about: music, baseball, abstract art, and so on," Federico says.

Others do not. All other things being equal, people who are less interested in politics — or who do not see their political beliefs as central to their identity — are less likely to vote. Senate was to invite Texas to become a state. If it had been a tie, Texas would not have been asked to become part of the Union. You Can Make a Difference! Learn about the candidates and issues before you vote in any election.

Write letters to public officials about issues that are important to you. Remind everyone 18 and older to vote. Respect your right to vote!