Why could this be a big issue?
The decline of voting numbers in America, particularly in the youth ages 18-25, affects Americans in many long lasting ways. In 2016, just 43% of young adults between the ages of 18-29 voted, and in 2014 only 16% (Hartsoe, 2018). Young Americans in this age range hold a significant amount of the voting population. In 2016, Americans between the ages of 18-29 made up of almost half of the voting population (9 Reasons We Need Young Voters Now More Than Ever, 2019). As young professionals and students, the neglecting of political issues with such political power in the election results only continues to hurt Americans as a whole, especially those choosing not to vote as many election decisions will impact them for years to come.
Why is this occurring?
Lack of knowledge on voting and registering is a huge contributor of the declining voting in young Americans. High schools aren’t preparing students enough for the registration and voting process. For example, students are learning information like the number of Supreme Court Justices rather than focusing on providing local and national voting preparation (Hartsoe, 2018). Without this early implementation, other priorities take precedent. 44%-47% of young adults between ages 18-29 chose that they were too busy to vote or had a conflict that coincided with Election Day (Why Youth Don’t Vote, 2018). Another reason of the declining voter turnout in young adults in America comes down to experiences. For instance, homeowners are more likely to vote than people who don’t own a home yet, and many voters within the age of 18-29 tend to rent rather than own a home, therefore, they don’t feel the political effects directly (Student Voting Guide, 2018).
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What can be done to fix it?
Educating voters at an early age on both the voting processes and potential candidates can have effects that could create a different system for young adults. Voting can be considered a habit and if the proper information and importance is taught early enough within our school systems, young adults could end up making election day a priority (Teens and Elections, 2019). Creating conversation from an early standpoint can introduce growing engagement in future elections. The greatest benefit to discussing politics and voting earlier in student life could setup the future of America with more information and skills that can be applied, resulting in the youth feeling more empowered than ever about their vote and the impact it has (Teens and Elections, 2018).
Proposals:
As far as compulsory voting, making voting mandatory seems to go against the very foundation and principles of the democracy we’ve been built on. Mandatory voting could create fear out of being forced to vote and potential punishment, resulting in voters not voting for the right reasons (The Case for Mandatory Voting, 2018).
And as for compensation to draw voters to the polls, this has many cases that could benefit the numbers for increased voting. However, a major concern is voter ignorance. The Washington Post in an article by IIya Somin references an example of a football player who only shows up to press conferences so that he may not be fined (Should we Pay Citizens to Vote?, 2019). Voters could potentially just show up to vote to receive payment, therefore, setting democracy back even further. Also, if it was implemented, the question of where the compensation would come from would create issues as well, as it most likely would come from American tax dollars.
Works Cited:
- Hartsoe, Steve. “Why So Many Young People Don't Vote.” Duke Today, 29 Oct. 2018, https://today.duke.edu/2018/10/why-so-many-young-people-don’t-vote.
- “CIRCLE ' Teens and Elections.” CIRCLE RSS, 21 Aug. 2018, https://civicyouth.org/teens-and-elections/.
- Writers, Staff. “Student Voters Guide.” BestColleges.com, BestColleges.com, 30 Oct. 2018, https://www.bestcolleges.com/resources/student-voting-guide/.
- Writers, Staff. “9 Reasons We Need Young Voters More Than Ever.” TheBestColleges.org, TheBestColleges.org, 1 July 2019, https://www.thebestcolleges.org/9-reasons-we-need-young-voters-more-than-ever/.
- “CIRCLE ' Why Youth Don't Vote – Differences by Race and Education.” CIRCLE RSS, 21 Aug. 2018, https://civicyouth.org/why-youth-dont-vote-differences-by-race-and-education/.
- Stanford University. “The Case for Mandatory Voting.” Stanford News, 29 Nov. 2018, https://news.stanford.edu/2018/11/30/case-mandatory-voting/.
- Somin, Ilya. “Should We Pay Citizens to Vote?” The Washington Post, WP Company, 20 Apr. 2019, https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/volokh-conspiracy/wp/2015/04/03/should-we-pay-citizens-to-vote/.
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