Elections and voting: Why should they matter to you?
Elections are important in a democracy. They allow citizens to participate in government. They also serve to check the power of elected officials. When voters go to the polls, they hold officials accountable for their actions. In The Federalist Papers, James Madison observed that elections compel leaders
Elections are one of the things that distinguish a democracy from a dictatorship. Nevertheless, many Americans do not vote.
In any given election, as many as two-thirds of all Americans who could vote do not do so. When asked, nonvoters offer a number of reasons for not going to the polls. Many say they are just too busy. Others cite illness or lack of interest. Political scientists who study voting point to three differences between voters and nonvoters: age, education, and income.
Age. The percentage of people voting varies among different age groups. Most voters are over the age of 30, and voting tends to increase with age. Once voters reach 75, however, turnout begins to decline, mostly due to ill health. The younger a person is, the less likely he or she is to vote. In the 2008 presidential election, slightly under half of all those in the 18 to 24 age group went to the polls. In contrast, over 72 percent of those in the 64 to 75 age group voted that year.
Education. Voting also varies by level of education. Americans with college educations vote in much higher numbers than do high school dropouts. Over three-fourths of all eligible voters with Bachelor’s degrees voted in 2008. Less than one-third of those who left high school without graduating cast ballots.
Income. Voting also varies with income group. Middle-class and wealthy Americans are much more likely to vote than are those living in poverty. This difference may, in part, reflect the fact that income and education are closely intertwined. However, there may be other barriers to voting among the poor. People working at low-wage jobs, for example, may find it difficult to get time off work or to find transportation to the polls on Election Day.
When deciding how to vote, Americans tend to look at three things: the candidate’s party affiliation, the candidate’s position on issues raised in the campaign, and the candidate’s characteristics.
Party affiliation. The party a candidate belongs to is the most critical factor that voters consider when choosing who to vote for. Most Americans still align themselves with a party and vote for its candidates. This is particularly true when voters are not familiar with the candidates” views or experience.
Issues. The issues raised in a campaign are a second factor that voters consider when evaluating candidates. This is particularly true of independent or swing voters, who do not have a strong party affiliation. These voters tend to look for candidates who hold positions on the issues that are similar to their own positions.
Candidate characteristics. Voters also choose candidates based on the candidate’s personal characteristics. These characteristics can be superficial, such as the candidate’s image or appearance. Voters may be drawn to candidates who seem friendly, trustworthy, or “presidential.” A candidate’s characteristics also include his or her skills and experience, For example, a candidate might have a long record of public service that gives voters confidence in that person’s ability to govern.
This last point touches on another important factor for many voters: whether a candidate is an incumbent already holding office. Unless incumbents have performed poorly, voters tend to regard them as more reliable and experienced than their opponents. As a result, voters are much more likely to vote for an incumbent over an untested challenger.
Obviously, it is desirable for citizens in a democracy to participate in elections. But how serious a problem is nonvoting? Does nonvoting behavior mean that people have lost hope in their ability to make a difference? Political scientists present two opposing views on these questions.
One view is that nonvoting has negative effects on American society. When groups, such as poorer or younger Americans, do not vote, they are effectively denied representation in government. This situation can set up a vicious cycle in which certain people do not vote because government does not serve their needs, and government does not serve their needs because those people do not vote.
Another, more positive view is that nonvoting represents a basic level of satisfaction among the population. According to this theory, many people do not vote because they are happy with the way things are. If they were not, they would make the effort to vote.