It is a right granted to all US citizens, something here in this country we are so fortunate to have. Left or Right, Red or Blue, everyone has the opportunity to have their voice heard. However, it seems that just because a right is given to us, doesn’t mean we will take it. With recent voter turnouts hitting record lows, it appears that America has an epidemic of inactivity. The amount of eligible voters who actually show up to the polls for elections, averages around 60%, meaning that an astounding number of people fail to participate in elections.1 Some reasons as to why the voter turnout is low could be that people don’t believe their vote matters and that they simply forget. Another possible reason for low voting could be that people don’t like any of the candidates or bills that they are voting on. However none of these excuses are valid. Voting is an important civic duty that not only affects you but the entire country. Everyone should be exercising their right to vote and there are several ways that we can debunk these misconceptions about voting and increase turnout at the polls. There is not one simple solution to this problem, we need to have lots of different actions taken in different areas.

The belief that one single vote doesn’t matter, is plain untrue. While the big elections, like the race for presidency, may seem out of one individuals control, local elections are usually very close and so many instances have come down to a handful of votes to reach a verdict. Just within the last 20 years there have been numerous cases of a single vote determining the outcome of an election. 3  The issue of whether voting matters can be easily be proved when you look at examples from history.

Another common misconception about voting is that there isn’t time to go to the polls. Everyone seems to have a million things to accomplish in one day and the government has accommodated to this by granting absentee ballots, or voting by mail. Absentee ballots can be filled out ahead of time and sent in the mail where your vote is counted. There is always enough time to vote as long as you plan ahead. Most workplaces, as well, will grant either lateness or early leave in order to vote on that Tuesday. Many states  also have early voting, which grants people a date to vote in advance of the actual election date.

A common complaint from more recent elections has been that people haven’t liked any of the options presented to them in terms of candidates or proposed bills. However this is not a good reason to skip out on voting. Someone will always end up being elected and people should still vote for the option they would most want to have representing them in office, because someone is going to take that seat whether you like it or not. Becoming more educated on what you are voting for can also help to possibly change your mind.

Now for solutions.

A study conducted by the Analyst Institute found that people were more likely to do something if they thought others were going to do it too. Obviously this applies to a lot more than just voting, but we have all heard about the herding sheep mentality of following the pack. However, in this particular study, researchers Alan Gerber and Todd Rogers revealed that if a voter predicts that a lot of his friends are going to be stopping by the polls, so will he. This study found a trend in peer pressure and the results of this study can support the fact that there needs to be a bigger push for voting. Voter registration is required in order to vote and can be completed when you turn 18. Pre-registering to vote allows for 16 and 17 year olds to get ahead of the curve. By allowing for schools to become designated voter registration spots or by simply holding a voter registration drive at schools every so often, we could possibly get more teenagers to register. The pre-registering of teens allows for excitement and anticipation to build around the idea of voting.

Concerning local elections, there needs to be some massive change as well. The percentage of voters who participate in local election sits at only around 20%. Local elections help to influence your local policy and laws that affect things such as local schools, city colleges, public transit, rent and housing, public safety, and even recycling programs. The promotion of local elections themselves instead of the candidates or bills (while that is important), could be more effective. Instead of having so many signs with who or what to vote for there could be greater amounts of signs that advertise the voting day and where you can find information about voting. People will always have access to the information on what it is they are voting on so it should be a priority to advertise the elections themselves so citizens can actually put that information to use.

Another solution, perhaps, can take inspiration from a generation of internet users, and Canada. In one of Canada’s more recent elections, an app was developed that gave users information about what polls to go to and what they would be voting on. Canada has also transitioned, in some areas, to online voting. These changes could possibly encourage a greater voting turnout by making information easy and accessible from phones and laptops. This implementation of technological solutions cam as a result of Canada’s equally low voter turnout, and it could be worth a shot here in the states.

With this problem of low voter turnout, it seems that there are several ways that we could help to improve it. However, the real change starts when we begin taking action now and pledging to go vote. It really is as simple as showing up and using your voice!