Why Americans Do Not Vote (and How Grassroots Groups Can Fix It)
Voting is a hard fought for constitutional right. It’s also the only way of ensuring that the US remains a democratic country. However, time and again, in Mid-term elections we have seen that more than 50% of Americans do not vote and in Presidential elections often 40% still do not vote.
Politicians are often terrible role models to inspire people to vote and when politics is presented through their rise and fall or seems to be about the ambitions of those politicians, the American people miss something essential. They fail to realize that a electoral system with effective leaders is the only sustainable way forward to address a host of issues that matters deeply to their community and fellow citizens. This is where community organizations and grassroots groups can serve as effective and trusted ambassadors, engaging people in why the voting process matters to have issues addressed in people’s lives.
1. They think their vote won’t count
Many Americans don’t vote because they think that the American representative voting system makes their individual voting choices ineffectual. This is a common belief rooted in the fact that the Electoral College chooses the President, not the voters. In reality, it is your vote, that you cast within your state, that determines which candidate the Electors of your states’s Electoral College are bound to vote to elect. This two-step process may be confusing, but the reality is that your vote matters and any one vote can decide the outcome of an election.
2. Disinterested
The American people have a reputation for being apathetic to the political process but love to have a vociferous discussion on political issues and electoral candidates. Presidential political debates on TV are a huge draw and often results in hours of heated conversation and partisan bickering about the underlying issues. However, this does not stop most from complaining about how “badly” the country is being governed by the party in power. This disconnect between the issues that people passionately care about and apathy towards a political process helmed by politicians is an opportunity that groups working to make issues that matter, such as equality, opportunity, human rights, or the environment, can bridge and channel that interest into a positive impact via the vote.
3. Waste of time and energy
Elections are still run by state and local officials and are staffed mostly by volunteers pitching in to help run the American experiment. However, this can make things inefficient and confusing. Where to vote, how ballots works, and the sheer number of candidates that can be running for offices from President to local conservation districts can be overwhelming, confusing, and seem a waste of time. Although election day is a working day, many Americans don’t know they usually have a legal right to take the time to cast their vote and for most Americans, the lines to cast a vote are short and voting can be accomplished in under an hour. New technologies and sites like Vote.org or TheBallot.us are making it easier for Americans to find their polling places and voting guides for all the candidates on the ballot. This, along with early voting and vote by mail, has made it easier and simpler to vote, make it seem less likely that it makes “no sense to waste my time voting”.
4. Don’t like the candidates
Politicians are sometimes easy to dislike. Many people generally distrust politicians, thinking them to be prevaricators and devious people who perpetuate themselves in power at the people’s expense. Many voters feel that no matter whose vote gets the majority, in reality nothing will really change, so why vote if doesn’t make a difference anyhow? However, when groups working to advance a cause that you believe in can point to the voters that turned out because of their engagement, voting becomes an important way for you to voice your opinion about the subjects you care about most — be it political, social or otherwise. Politicians often will listen to a group that can engage voters in ways they otherwise wouldn’t. So go out & engage with a group you care about and vote — it is your duty to do so and it helps change more than you think.
5. Difficulty in casting one’s vote because of registration or ability to reach voting booths
Getting to polling locations can be a hassle, especially for the disabled, the sick, and people who are temporarily out of the country on vacation or business. Also, every election, national news profiles the communities, typically communities of color, where long lines stretch for hours in line to vote. But advocacy groups are making it much easier to get to the polls, even for those with special needs. Same-day registration, vote by mail, early voting, and many other ways to engage voters have been advanced by community and civic groups. Hence, check the rules and you might find it easier than you thought, but even so, no excuse is a good enough excuse not to vote — so VOTE, your country needs your vote !!
Movement2016.org having communities who encouraging societies to participate more and more in this upcoming 2016 US Presidential Election.
