Why VOTE?

“Why vote? Usually, this question is asked in the negative: Why do so many people fail to register and vote? But greater insight into the question of voter participation can be obtained if we try to understand what motivates the people who do go to the polls,” (Dye, p. 160).

“Why vote when registering, following the political news, and getting to the polls take away time from work, family, or leisure activity? Why vote when the winner will not really change one’s life for the better, or even do things much differently from what the loser would have done? Most important, why vote when the chance that one individual vote will determine who wins is very small? Thought of in this fashion, the wonder is that millions of Americans continue to vote,” (Dye, p. 160).

Age is another factor affecting voter participation. Perhaps because young people have more distractions, more demands on their time in school, work, or new family responsibilities, nonvoting is greatest among 18- to 24-year-olds. In contrast, older Americans are politically influential in part because candidates know they turn out at the polls.

“High-income people are more likely to vote than are low-income people. Most of this difference stems from the fact that high-income people are more likely to be well educated and older. But poor people may also feel alienated from the political system—they may lack a sense of political efficacy; they may feel they have little control over their own lives, let alone over public affairs. Or poor people may simply be so absorbed in the problems of life that they have little time or energy to spend on registering and voting,” (Dye, p. 164).

References

Dye, T. (2010). Politics in America, Alternate Edition (9th ed). Pearson Learning Solutions. Retrieved from http://digitalbookshelf.southuniversity.edu/books/9781256507550/id/ch05fig05