Voting In America
Our democracy is broken… it’s that simple. In Presidential Elections, about 60% of eligible voters voted, in the Midterm elections about 40% of eligible voters vote. The number drops to around 20–25%, in odd-year elections where the majority of Mayors, Alderpersons, Board of Education members, etc. are elected. These percentages become even lower still if you look at Votes cast compared to Voting Age Population (which include people over 18 who aren’t registered to vote)
The United States ranks 26th in Voter Turnout compared to the top 30 democracies in the world. For the nation that is supposed to be a “shining city upon a hill” this is indeed disconcerting. The top 10 countries have a voter turnout of over 70%.
From our founding thru the election of 1900, we frequently had 70% or 80% voter turn out. Then something happened, I’m not sure what exactly, I can only postulate.
By the year 1900, the Second Industrial Revolution was in full swing, it created a slew of factory jobs and fully transitioned the American economy away from agriculture. Those factory jobs required long hours and working on Tuesdays, likely making it harder for people to find the time to go out and vote.
Also, around this time all of the First Generation Americans (those men and women who were alive for the Revolution or born in the first 20 years of our nation) would have passed away. This could directly correlate with people not understanding the full power of their vote, and having no direct ties to the why/how of the establishment of our democracy.
Once we began to lose that, we lost the most important tenant of our country, that we are a government of self-regulation by and for the people.
Why It Matters
All of this matters because it no longer feels like we are in control of our own democracy. Our country is governed by a total of five hundred and forty-five people, spread across the three branches of government. That’s it… a nation of 326 million people governed by 545 people or 0.00000167% of the population.
The Judicial Branch has 9 in the form of Supreme Court Justices.
The Executive Branch has 1, in the form of the President.
The Legislative Branch has 535, in the form of 100 Senators and 435 Representatives.
I could dive into a whole different discussion about the 435 Representatives and how it should be more, but I will save that for another article.
If we are entrusting 545 people to lead our country, to be responsible for our well-being, and to guarantee our Constitutional rights, it is imperative that as close to the full totality of the People elect those Representatives.
Which means one thing, we all have to get out and VOTE!
Without Voting, Democracy Falters
Everything we hold dear in America is predicated on the ballot box. From our local towns halls to our State Houses to members of Congress. Every single Mayor, State Senator, and U.S. Congressperson have their job because of people who show up and vote.
Voters get to decide at every level who sits in those seats, if we don’t show up somebody else gets to decide for us. I personally have a problem with that, and I say that as someone who didn’t understand the true depth of the issue 18 months ago.
The concept of self-government ensures our fundamental rights, as outlined in the Constitution. It provides us officials who represent the people (The U.S. House of Representatives) that are elected every two years and officials who represent the best interests of our states (The U.S. Senate). They pass the laws of our land. It provides us with a President to execute the laws. Lastly, it provides the Supreme Court to adjudicate the laws and their execution, and that they do not violate any of our rights.
“It is not the function of the government to stop the citizen from falling into error; it is the function of the citizen to keep the government from falling into error.” — Supreme Court Justice Robert H. Jackson
We cannot and SHOULD not lose sight of that critical fact.
Our Civic Obligation
Without executing our civic obligations as United States citizens to vote we forfeit any control we have over our rights, our future, and our country.
The founders of our nation charged us… it’s PEOPLE with the most essential function of government, the act of voting.
It is with the vote that we can atone for the past, that we can protect one another, that we can provide for all of us to be able to live a life of life and liberty. To ensure our ability to pursue happiness.
And it is an obligation that costs us nothing. We have it endowed upon us with our birth or naturalization as United States citizens.
Yet, as I alluded to earlier a smaller and smaller portion of our voters are executing the right to vote.
Allowing for an even smaller portion of the population to control the fate of our country.
Every November
60% vote in Presidential elections, 40% in Midterm elections, and about 20–25% vote in off-year municipal elections.
An absolutely alarming trend and as I discussed throughout this entire article, it is our vote that controls our own fate. We elect a microscopic number of officials to craft and execute our laws (at local, state, and federal levels)
It is on each and every one of us to vote, to show up EVERY single November to vote for candidates.
Without exercising that right, we sacrifice the only active lever of control we have over our democracy.
