Only 36% of eligible voters participated by voting in the 2014 election -- the lowest percentage since 1942. That is a figure that should embarrass all Americans, especially when compared to the percentage voting in other democracies around the world. It makes me wonder if most Americans even care about preserving our democracy.
The United States Election Project tried to find out why people didn't vote in 2014 by questioning many of the registered voters who did not vote. The chart above shows the result of their survey (as reported by the Washington Post).
The most common reason for not voting was being too busy (28%), followed by not interested (16%) and illness/disability (11%). Frankly, I don't accept any of the reasons given as being valid -- except possibly illness/disability, and even then there are provisions like mail-in ballots that those people could take advantage of.
There are just too many different ways a person can vote these days. Here is Texas, any person can request and use a mail-in ballot, can vote early for a couple of weeks before the election, or can vote on election day (and get a ride to the polls with a simple phone call to either party). No one is "too busy" to use one of those methods to vote.
especially worrying are those who say they just weren't interested, or didn't like the candidates/issues, or just "forgot". Those who got elected are going to affect your lives whether you like it or not -- and not voting doesn't change that. It just makes sure you don't have a voice in your own government.
Americans need to ask themselves -- do I like living in a democracy? Do I want our democratic form of government to continue? If the answer is "yes", then you have a duty to vote in the next election.
"A Republic, if you can keep it." This is how we lose it.
ReplyDeleteI am, however, sympathetic toward very poor people -- especially those with children. However, I have no sympathy for anyone I know using these excuses. And I've heard these things (Including, "I forgot"!) from people who are fairly engaged politically. But you can't yell at them. I just try to make it easy on them by sending them lists of how to vote. Surprisingly, most people are very grateful. Obviously, I don't send these out to conservatives -- although I encourage them to vote too. One of the great things about being a liberal is that you don't have to be frightened of democracy.