Low Voter Turnout

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Causes of Low Voter Turnout It is the second Tuesday of November and it is the day you have been anticipating for eighteen years: your first time voting. You wake up early to get to the polls hoping to skip the long line. When you get there you are shocked to see that you are the only one in line. You cannot believe that other people are not out taking advantage of the opportunity to choose their political leaders. Unfortunately, low voter turnout in elections is becoming a big problem for the United States compared to other nations. In European elections, 60% to 95% of people turn out to vote, in America that number is between 40% and 73% (Rolfe 104). A study done between 1952 and 2000, indicated that 11% of Americans do not even find it …show more content…

Younger people do not understand the importance of voting just yet so they choose not to do it. Citizens aged 18 to 29 turned up to the polls at a rate of 15 to 20 points lower than people over age 30 in the years of 1972 to 2012 (What Affects Voter Turnout Rates). As a young voter myself, I have witnessed the flippant attitudes of my peers when it comes to voting. Many young people just agree with the opinions of their friends instead of using their own opinions. Young voters are greatly influenced by their peers when it comes to voting. Any social situation can usually be broken down into who is involved and the relationship between the involved individuals (Rolfe 43). So if a group of individuals have a tight friendship and one person tells the others not the vote, they will most likely be influenced by that one voice. Voter turnout does increases as individuals age though, just like it does as individuals become …show more content…

Wealthy people are generally more likely to vote than less wealthy people. In the 2008 election, 41% of people who made under $15,000 a year reported voting, while 78% of citizens that made over $150,000 voted (What Affects Voter Turnout Rates). This is so because wealthy people want to stay rich and they feel that there is more at stake for them. A big topic is taxing the rich to give to the poor, an idea that the rich are not in favor of usually. Political leaders know that rich people vote more so “Politicians are more likely to respond to the desires of their wealthy constituents than of their poorer constituents… (What Affects Voter Turnout Rates).” Politician’s try to appeal to the wealthy more just because they know they are more likely to show up to the polls. People’s votes are still important though, no matter what economic class they are

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