The Importance of Voting to Democracy

By Ben Brewster
The Importance of Voting to Democracy
Voting isnt just important to Democracy. Voting is Democracy. You cant have a
successfully run democratic system without the support and votes of the citizens. The definition
of a democracy even has voting in it. A democracy is a government in which the supreme power
is vested in the people and exercised by them directly or indirectly through a system of
representation usually involving periodically held free elections. That is what our fore fathers
envisioned for our country. We went to war for our democracy. Thousands of Americans fought
for our rights, they shed their blood to give us what we have today.
Voting rights at one point were only given to the rich land owners, and then it was
amended and given to men even if they didnt own property. Now women can vote and the
voting age is 18. All these things were done to get more people voting. These things would
never have happened if voting was not important. In the last election fifty percent of eligible
voters voted. It was the highest its been for along time. Its good to see a high rate of voting,
that means people are doing there part in keeping our democracy alive. Without the votes of the
people our democracy would expire. It would turn into a country run by the people in the white
house, senate, congress, and special interest groups. That wouldnt make people happy. In fact
our government would become a dictatorship rather than a democracy. Nobody wants to live in
a place run where your thoughts and opinions dont matter.
Voting gives the ability for people to express their opinions about the government. The
power lies in our hands when we vote. We are given a really great opportunity that many people
dont take advantage of. We are given the opportunity to change what we dont like and bring
about something you do like. Every vote reassures our democracy and makes it stronger. We
cant allow for it to weaken and disintegrate. I bet many people couldnt even imagine living in
a place where the peoples opinion doesnt matter. I know I cant.

Still today only half of all voters take part in voting day. Many people are angry with the
government and dont care to vote. Others despise the candidates or dont believe their vote
counts, and dont have interest in the issues that are up for vote. No matter what their reasons are
they need to vote. You cant bicker about the government when you dont go out and vote and
try and change what you are angry about. Its you right as an American and it should be taken
advantage of.
Is there any way to get more people to vote? I think we should do something to get more
people voting. We should make it a law. We wouldnt have a problem then. Every one would
vote. If they didnt they would get in trouble. We could also give benefits to the people who do
vote. They could be given a bonus on their tax returns or something. It could act as some kind
of tax right off, like they do to people who give money to charity. There could also be better
representation of things. Give more of a broad spectrum of different parties for people to be
represented by. That could allow for people to feel like they are represented more accurately and
maybe get people more excited to vote.
Democracy is not possible without the peoples vote. It is has been important since our
government was founded and it always will be, as long as people do their duty by taking part in
the single and easy process of registering to vote and voting.

Why is Voting in Elections So Important?

Jakub Ciesielczuk argues the importance of voting in order to foster democracy in our respective
countries as well as the European Union. Voting is the utmost privilege and this article seeks to
find out why there seems to be a predominantly low voter turnout at the European level.
28 Apr 2015 | tags: european parliament, voting, elections and eu elections
EU Elections Ireland EU Elections 2014
Despite many voices undermining the concept of democracy, the dmokrata as ancient
Greek used to refer to democracy became the main system of governing in most of the
European States. What impact does it have on us ordinary citizens? Indisputably it gives us
a broader spectrum of powers to shape the reality in which we live.
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Voting in elections is an inherent element of every form of democracy. Widespread participation

of citizens in political processes is the cornerstone of democracy. Therefore, voting should be
regarded as a privilege, which involves a certain degree of responsibility. When we are voting we
have an influence on every aspect of our lives from free access to education to homeland security
and economic stability. By voting we are making our voices heard and expressing our opinion on
how we think the governments should operate.
Many argue that their vote does not really count. Some say that they do not know enough about
the issues and therefore they should not vote. Others still say that they do not know where or
how to vote or how to register even. The truth is that every vote counts! In order to make
democracy effective we must be an active group of participants, not simply observers. One who
does not vote does not have the right to complain. Voting is one the most fundamental civil
duties. Even if none of the political parties running in elections or candidates represent our views
comprehensively, we can always vote for a party or candidate who is the closest to our political
perspective. There may be some situations when we should vote for any party or candidate who
staunchly oppose extremism represented by another party. Moreover, given the widespread
media coverage for most of the elections and information available, it is somehow difficult to
believe that people are still grappling with lack of knowledge on how to vote or register.
It is vital to vote in all elections starting from local elections, national general elections and
finally in European Parliament elections. The low turnout in the last European Parliament
elections which took place in 2014, is especially disturbing. The official results of Euro
elections show that the turnout did not exceed 43%. In countries like the Czech Republic,
Slovenia or Slovakia the turnout was less than 20%. This clearly indicates that many people
across Europe still underestimate the importance of voting in European Parliament elections.
Regardless of your position on the European Union, voting in the European Parliament
elections gives us a chance to reaffirm or change the course of work of that institution. You
are perfectly entitled to be an opponent of the European Union and be unsatisfied with the fact
that your country is part of it. This is the beauty of democracy. Nobody will impose any
restriction on your choice in voting. If you are a Eurosceptic person, vote for a party which
represents your views and will defend them in the European Parliament. Voting is always a better
form of expression of ourselves than not voting and constantly criticizing the current state of
affairs.
Even more worrying is the fact that according to research conducted after the last
European Parliament elections, only 28% of young people (aged 18-24) from EU Member
States voted, lower than any other age group (for example 51% of those aged 55 or over
voted). Arguably the main reason behind peoples reluctance to vote in national or Euro
elections simply boils down to lack of trust in politicians and their politics in general. People
often perceive politicians as rogue hypocrites who promise many things during the election
campaigns and once elected never even intend to fulfill these obligations. In fairness, that
notorious reputation of politicians is not drawn from thin air. Unfortunately, politicians work
hard every day for such reputations by lying, misinforming or simply not fulfilling their election
promises. However, we need to keep in mind that not all politicians are purely evil. Arguably, in
every Parliament of each Member State of the EU there are people who are motivated to serve
their homeland in the best possible manner. Again, its our duty to identify these trustful
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individuals who seem to represent our values and visions for our country and VOTE for them. It
may sound like cliche, it may also sound overly optimistic. However, it is still a better approach
than NOT voting and then criticising every move of our governments for the next 5 years.
Where the average turnout in general national election in Member States of the EU in recent
years is estimated around 65%, the recent Scottish Independence Referendum where a turnout
was recorded to be 84,5% gives us some faith that higher turnouts are achievable. The key to the
successfully high turnout in the Scottish Independence Referendum was a constant
emphasis that the independence referendum is of paramount importance for the Scottish
society and excellent citizenship education.
Undoubtedly, independence is a far more exciting and appealing reason for voting than European
Parliament elections or even national general elections. The question arises: is it really? Maybe
the problem lies in insufficient governmental efforts to convince its citizens that voting in
elections is indeed thrilling and most importantly, a necessary part of our lives.
Luckily, there are some initiatives like the League of Young Voters who have committed
themselves to increasing political awareness of people and encourage them to vote. We can
collectively have a positive impact on our lives, but the first step is to increase our political
awareness and VOTE!

Why Should We Vote

Voting in India is a Constitutional right if one is a citizen over 18 years of age.
However, that also makes it optional. It has been a tendency among voters,
especially in the urban areas, to treat the voting day as a day of rest. While skipping
the vote may not seem to cause any harm,the long-term consequences are
disastrous. Here's why every citizen of India must cast his or her vote:
Agent of change: Voting is the agent of change. If the people of India think that
the ruling government is not performing its duties satisfactorily, they can show it
the door by voting against it. Refraining from doing so can result in the same party,
or a worse one, being elected for the next five years.
Every vote counts: In a country so populous, a voter might feel that a single vote
does not make any difference. However, the balance tilts when this becomes a
national attitude and lakhsperhaps croresof votes are not cast. By casting their
vote, citizens may not necessarily be able to get the best candidate elected
politics being what it isbut by avoiding casting their vote they improve the
chances of the unsuitable ones winning the polls. At the end, it is only the voter who
has to suffer through poor governance.

Get heard: Voting offers every citizen a medium of expression. In a country as vast
and diverse as ours, different regions have different concerns and priorities. The
process of voting allows every citizen to have a say in what should constitute the
matters of importance by voting for the candidate he or she deems fit for the
purpose. While it is true that the outcome of elections is seldom predictable, by not
casting one's vote, that citizen is giving up on the chance of getting heard.
Voting as a responsibility: Voting is as much a responsibility as it is a right. The
whole edifice of Indian democracy is built on the foundation of voting. If citizens are
not careful about casting their voteor worse, skip their vote altogetherit will
jeopardize the existence of our democratic Republic.
Voting as an honor: Finally, voting is an honor conferred on the citizens by the
founding fathers. By exercising their right to vote, citizens demonstrate their
respect for the history of the country.
It can't be denied that the recent democratic experience in India has not been
encouraging. For the past several years, India has been struggling with rampant
corruption, unsure economy, and unclear foreign policy. Election after election has
seen ineffective governments come to power that have done more harm than good.
However, not casting one's vote will only worsen the condition. It is our duty as
responsible citizens of India to make informed decisions and choose the best
candidate from those presented. Moreover, with reforms like Right to Reject gaining
wider support, it wouldn't be long before the system of elections is improved.
- See more at: http://www.elections.in/why-should-we-vote-inindia.html#sthash.Dp66yH8t.dpuf