Voting: The Cornerstone of American Democracy

A county-by-county map of the 2012 presidential election. Red =Romney, Blue = Obama.

With the upcoming presidential election even now looming over our heads; I feel like its important to take a break from the violence that has pervaded recent news to talk about the importance of voting. We are lucky enough to live in a time and a place that affords a great percentage of our population the ability to vote. However, our democracy is participatory. The people who actually do go out and vote tend to be wealthier, older, and whiter. These statistics do not accurately reflect the true demographic make-up of this country. Voting determines who is allowed to make decisions in our society; so why isn't everyone voting?

One major reason a lot of 'rare voters' (people who rarely, if ever, make it to the polls) cite is that they don't feel they know enough about the candidates to have an opinion. This is a major deal seeing as a quarter of registered voters are currently labelled as being 'rare' according to the Pew Research Center. Is it the responsibility of our candidates to more effectively get their message across? Or is it the responsibility of our citizenry to educate themselves on matters of government and politics in our republic? I would argue a little bit of both. Americans need transparency from our elected officials. Without the guarantee of honesty, many people just feel they cannot trust who they are voting for. But it is also the responsibility of the voters to educate themselves about what issues need to be focused on in our society and which candidates have the most feasible responses to these dilemmas.

Voting is also generational. That is to say that if people in your family have traditionally been involved in politics, (and further extending to include your neighborhood/town/city) then you yourself are more likely to at least know the importance of voting or be more informed about elections. Candidates statistically do not campaign in communities with low voter turnout. Millions of Americans are effectively being glossed over because they are, i.e. too uneducated, too poor, or simply not white enough. Because America is an elective democracy, the people who vote get to determine what kind of candidate best represents them; and what kind of policies they want to see preserved or acted upon. Think about the tyranny that was the Jim Crow South. Even in states like Mississippi or Alabama with large black populations, because black people either didn't have the means to vote or were intimidated into not voting, racial Apartheid was upheld and white voters were able to secure more social control and effectively power in their government.

What we see in modern America is an economic/ethnic divide in voter coverage that mirrors the racial politics of the segregated South. An apathetic underclass allows a more socially mobile and socially aware upper and upper middle class to dominate elections and retain control over political interests that favor their continued prosperity. If we want to see real progress for the vast underclass in America, there needs to be a renewed interest in the voting process. Real change starts from the grassroots level up. It's not only important to vote in the big presidential and senatorial elections, but in the elections that effect us in our own backyards. Don't scoff at the polls, they are the driving force of our society and who we elect also ultimately determines the character of that society.

I would like to leave you with a quote from George Takei;

"This is supposed to be a participatory democracy and if we're not in there participating then the people that will manipulate and exploit the system will step in there."