Case Study The Voter Turnout For The Election

The debate over compulsory vs. non-compulsory voting is a complex subject matter to say the least, that has sparked much controversy in recent times with almost all strongly in favor of one side of the argument and or the other. This highly polarized debate has sparked in popularity in recent times because of a quote by former president Barak Obama in which he said that “It would be transformative if everybody voted”. It is believed that if everyone voted that could and was eligible then the domination of hard core partisans within the political system would be in part quelled as the candidates went where the votes are, which would be away from the extremes. Moreover some studies show that mandatory voting decreases the rates of uninformed voters within an area as voting becomes more of a civic duty than right. While the institution of compulsory voting would have a short term effect of increasing the rate of uninformed voters,

I read an interesting article in our local newspaper, The Panolian. The article was written by the editor of the paper, John Howell. Mr. Howell is a great writer. He lives in Batesville, Mississippi some of the time, Mr. Howell’s article was about the upcoming election for several positions in Panola County. In August we will be voting for Sheriff, Supervisors, and Justice Court. In Mississippi we have an open primary. Open Primary means that Democrats, Republicans, and Independents can vote for the candidate of their choice. Voting is very important. It is a privilege to be able to vote for the person you think can best represent your views and values. Mr. Howell give us a politics 101, crash course in voting and the electoral system. Although

In some countries there are legal repercussions for not voting, such as Australia. In ancient Grease, all citizens were required to vote at election time under penalty of imprisonment. This may not be the best course of action for America, were people might see it as imposing on there freedom of choice. There are other less dramatic options that can be considered.

Lisa Welch, director of the Holmes County Board of Elections, offered a big and bold prediction: 70 percent, or 12,560 of the county’s 17,944 voters, will cast votes.

Factors such as competitiveness of upcoming elections and demographics play roles in determining voter turnout. Voting rates historically vary widely among states. In a given election year, many factors contribute to the number of state citizens going to the polls. In presidential elections, citizens of less competitive states go to the polls less often than in states where outcome is less certain. Election type also influences voter turnout. Fewer voters across all states turn out for primary elections and local elections. Among demographic factors, age and race influence voter turnout. Younger Americans and certain minorities, including Latin Americans and Asian-Americans, historically cast votes less frequently than older citizens,

For example, a rational voter will only vote if the personal benefits outweigh the costs. Most Americans know that the likelihood of one vote determining the outcome of the election is very low, therefore many people do not see a direct tangible benefit from voting in an election. Studies also show that the poor, unemployed, less educated and minority population tend to feel alienated from politics. Unless a candidate is specifically addressing their specific needs, this population of people do not feel the need to go out and vote. Another factor of low voter turnout is the media predicting early winners. When media and news outlets predict the winner of a vote before the polls are even closed, voters may feel discouraged from voting, thinking that their candidate has already lost and their vote will not make a difference. However, this can also work in the reverse direction, where people choose to go and vote in order to ensure that the predicted candidate does not win, as was seen recently in the Michigan primary election where Hillary Clinton was predicted to win ended up losing to Bernie

This would be meant to give a conviction to the potential voters that they are indeed different and they can provide practical solutions. It is also the responsibility of the Americans to oppose voter suppression attempts among other aspects. This would be through demanding an automatic voter registration. Furthermore, voters should pressure the candidates to put forward visions that are of benefit to the middle and the lower class. Practically, people would participate in politics more in politics if they feel that the government plays a more beneficial role in their lives(Lerner,

At last, its 21st Century Democracy in United States, that is why nothing but a general view for mandatory voting has nothing to do with today’s politics. It’s almost signifying the central promise of American citizenship. Generally saying, let’s eat the cake for which many generation marched, fought and died. As discussed in the paper, everyone have their own problems but giving a few minutes to vote can solve this problems for future generations. Making federal voting mandatory will bring a big change in the way the candidates offer beneficial speeches. And this will make America

The nature of voter turnout is a broad concept in modern American politics and can be broken into many topics: how voter turnout varies by state, by election, by demographics, and whether or not voter turnout actually matters. Despite public opinion that voter participation is declining and that such participation matters, voter turnout is about the same as it was in the 1960s and has not undergone serious changes, and turnout only actually matters in competitive or local elections, rarely national elections.

If people do not vote, it would lead the country to a very vulnerable and perilous position due to incompetent and irresponsible leaders. Not voting during an election is voting indirectly against democracy and making way for irresponsible leaders (Akande, 2011).

One alternative voting procedure that will alleviate the lack of voter participation is proportional representation (PR). Through the implementation of a PR system, the voice of more American voters can be heard-and a more representative government created. The exorbitant amount of wasted votes that exist under today's system will be greatly reduced. The lower threshold of votes needed to elect a candidate under PR will allow smaller groups to elect representative officials more in tune with their political philosophy without the having to constitute the majority of the voting body. This also translates into the vote of each person carrying a greater weight, thus giving that person more of an incentive to become involved in the political process. By providing a greater number of people voting incentives, paired with the increased likelihood that third-party candidates can be voted in, PR insures a more representative government that will better serve the American people.

There are various factors that influence how a voter will cast their choice in the U.S. elections. Party identification is the most top factor in a person's voting choice. Some voters are members of either the two majors political parties; the Democratic Party or the Republican Party. These party affiliations are usually determined by a person's influences from family, peers, media and the assessment of the candidates and the issues. Independents who are not affiliated with either party does not have a particular loyalty to any party. They vote mainly on the issues (Schmidt, Shelley, Bardes, 2011, p.193).

Hello, Alexis! I completely agree with your perspectives on this topic. In addition to what should be done to increase the voting turnout rates, considering that only 22 states have provisions allowing elections to be conducted entirely by mail, I think by implementing universal vote via mail by all states may help the turnout decline. It is not the same as no excuse absentee voting but with full vote-by-mail, all ballots are sent out to registered voters in advance. It would really help to have the ballots sent to people's homes ahead of time so they can scrutinize all the candidates and of course the ballot measures. It will also accommodate people who have difficulty getting to the polls which include single parents with kids, people who

Voting is a vital portion of conducting everyday life. Americans have more freedom than many other people in countries around the globe; therefore, it is pertinent to express that freedom in many ways. Up until 1965 when the Voting Rights Act was signed into law, many people of color, gender, and all other classifications in the United States fell under one umbrella: not having the ability to vote. (massvote.org) As far as Americans having the ability to vote, 218,959,000 people have the eligibility to vote as of August 16th, 2015. Out of that significantly large number, 146,311,000 are actually registered to vote. (statisticbrain.com) This large gap in people with the eligibility to vote, and actual registered voters, is very alarming. As an American, it is the right and duty of a citizen to exercise all attainted rights by voting in all elections, even if the favored party seems to lose to no avail. (theodysseyonline.com)

In conclusion, we as a society need to stop finding excuses to not vote when so much has been sacrifice to insure our right to do so. If registering to vote is confusing then we should ask for help. If we do not think each vote counts on a national level then we need to look at it on a local level. Finally,