Should We Earn The Right To Vote Essay

According to the U.S. census, only 61.8% of registered voters cast ballots in the 2012 presidential election. This is a very poor statistic compared to Uruguay's 96.1 percent voter turnout in 2009 or Rwanda's 89.2 percent in 2010. Where were the other 38.2 percent in 2012? Some couldn't find their polling station, some were out of town, and others were merely too busy (Weil). Bill Vaughan once said, "A citizen of America will cross the ocean to fight for democracy, but won't cross the street to vote in a national election." It seems that somehow America has forgotten the importance of voting.

How did we earn the right to vote? When America first became a country, our founding fathers determined that it would be up to each state to decide who could and could not vote. Most states only allowed white males who owned property to vote but others only required white males to be over twenty-one years of age regardless of how much property they owned. By the 1840s almost all white males were granted the right to vote but women and black men were still unable. In 1870, however, the 15th amendment was added to the constitution stating that citizens could not

Elected officials notice who is voting and take time to listen to what they have to say. For example, the highest voter turnout comes from those ages 65 and older (U.S. Census). That is why some of the more talked about issues in government are social security and health care. These voters are voicing their opinions and our congressmen, representatives, and others are listening. Imagine what would happen if younger citizens began voting. Perhaps issues such as the cost of college tuition or lack of jobs for recent college graduates would be discussed by our