Why People Do and Do Not Vote
... his post- 9/11 actions. Louisiana resident Anthony Pete particularly sees this as a primary reason for all Americans to go out and vote on November 2nd. “The country is in a fragile position that needs a different approach to mend and I don’t think Bush is cut out to fix what he’s broken.” Mr. Pete, along with other voters, believes that it is the president’s duty to ensure their safety and well-being and that George W. Bush has failed to assure them of his ability to do so in office. Though a predominant reason why voters are headed to the polls this November, it is not the only one. Many voters generally see their vote as an honor and that as long as they have the chance to say what goes on in this country, they will. African-American business owner Jennifer Woods views her ability to vote with utmost regards. Mrs. Woods knows that she, as well as others like her, “did not always have this opportunity.“ “Every issue presented in an election will effect me either directly or indirectly both now and in the future so I want to be sure that I make some effort to voice my opinion on such matters.” Many citizens, nevertheless, opt not to utilize their ability to govern themselves. Instead, they give various reasons for this decision. According to Dave Pollard, the most common reasons seem to be, in order: There isn't enough difference between the candidates/parties to make it worthwhile The outcome is a foregone conclusion/one vote won't change it The candidates can't be trusted to do what they say Voters don't know enough about the candidates to differentiate Voters don't know enough about the issues to make an informed choice Except at the highest level, politicians don't really have the power to do anything anyway Voters get depressed when the candidates they get worked up about almost invariably lose, or fail to deliver# High school student Kimberly Woods, who will not be eligible to vote until after May 2005, says that even if she was eligible, she would not vote in the upcoming presidential election nor in any other local or state elections. “I don’t see the point. They don’t listen to us anyway” she says. Miss Woods feels as many American voters do - that the outcome of these elections are irrelevant because the electees take on entirely different positions and perspectives once they obtain their office, thus making their vote highly irrelevant. “SEVENTY MILLION Americans who could decide the outcome of the November 2004 presidential election do not plan to vote, according to the findings of a survey reported in early September. This includes 60 million who have never voted and 10 million who have voted in the past but now have become political dropouts.”# They were interviewed in late July by Peter D. Hart Research Associates of Washington, D.C., on behalf of the Committee for the Study of the American Electorate. Half of those interviewed said they chose not to concern themselves with politics for the following reasons: "Candidates say one thing and do another" (68 per cent) "It doesn't make much difference who is elected" (55 per cent) "Watergate proved that elected officials are only out for themselves" (52 per cent) not able to get to the polls (18 per cent) difficulty of registering to vote (12 per cent)# Many active voters question whether or not the government is doing enough to provide solutions to these problems that non-voters have expressed. The United States is a democracy, which means that the citizens run the government. Since we can't all make the rules, we elect representatives who make the laws and govern our country based on the beliefs of the people. These elected officials help pass laws that reflect the interests of their constituents -- the people who live within the areas they represent. Since the right to choose these representatives is in...