Voting is one of the key aspects of our government, if not the key aspect; for it is the “consent of the governed” clause put into practice. “The purpose of a republic is to have representatives who act in our favor. If we don’t vote, how do they know what we want?” said Ms. Andrews, teacher of AP U. S. Government and We the People.

 

With this in mind, it becomes considerably more confusing as to why so many individuals are choosing not to participate. According to the U. S. Census Bureau, this is especially problematic among younger voters. It seems that younger generations have forgotten the importance of civic participation. So, as Uncle Sam would say, here are three reasons why “I want you for U. S. army to vote.”

 

1. It is the civic duty of every citizen, whether they be eighteen or eighty-eight, to vote. The government, believe it or not, is controlled by the people. That means what goes on here, domestically, is in our hands.

 

“It’s your responsibility, according to 18-year-old senior Chuang Jiang with regards to voting, you have the power to change something in this country.” That power needs to be exercised.

 

2. Voting can make a person much more educated on pressing issues and the quality of political candidates. People don’t vote blindly, and  when you educate yourself on political candidates, chances are you get educated on a whole lot of other things.

 

“You have to know who you’re voting for, and to do that, you have to watch the news,” said Chuang Jiang. Watching the news means you know what’s going on, so whether you like it or not you are getting educated on the issues.

 

AP social studies teachers agree that it is a natural thing for people to get informed when voting. It’s assumed you have an idea what’s going on.

 

3. It would be wrong of anyone to waste the right to vote. The right to vote wasn’t always as valued as it is nowadays, for the idea of average people having such a strong voice in government was only a dream in ancient times.

 

“We have to vote, for the Founders fought for our right to do so,” said Daniel Jun, another senior who would like to vote despite not being old enough to do so.

 

When asked if she agreed that choosing not to vote was somewhat ungrateful, Ms. Andrews said: “I completely agree, especially since suffrage movements were so powerful. I’m shocked that almost every group has a lower turnout than when they started.”

 

Despite all this, there’s no getting around the fact that voting can be time-consuming and challenging. That’s why it’s good to start out small-scale with something like student council elections. They give you a taste of what it’s like to keep up with candidates and campaigns, making them a great starting place (especially for those not old enough to vote).

 

So in short, get off your behind and get to the polls when November rolls around.