Everybody has a right to vote. The people of our nation fought for people to have the right to vote. So why do people still choose not to vote? Some college students decide not to vote because they may not be from the district they are voting for.
Therefore, they might not believe that it directly affects them personally. Or, they may see that based on popular vote, their votes do not matter. But it does. While voting for the executive branch seems to be the most patriotic thing American citizens can do, many are deterred from exercising their 15th Amendment right, especially when candidates do not follow through with their promises made during their campaign. Another issue that is prevalent with voting is a lack of information. Candidates spend so much time focusing on belittling the other candidates that it takes away from the focus of their policies.
And the lack of knowledge on policies forces students to look to their elders rather than developing their own opinions. We are lucky to live in a country where we have the freedom of expression and can have our own opinions on political subjects.
We should become more informed about who our representatives are and what measures are being voted on because we have local governments for a
reason. Those serving for the state governments serve as a liaison for the voice of the people to the federal government. When people choose not to vote in local elections, a divide is created between the citizens and their government.
Change will always begin from the bottom-up, not the top-down. Our generation focuses on politics at a national level rather than a general level because the presidential election is sensationalized through the news. The sensationalism is justifiable because the presidential election does effect everyone in the United States, but our generation needs to understand that who we elect to represent us in congress, has an effect on our voice as the people as well.
When you notice a pothole in the middle of the road, you’ll probably put in a request to get it fixed with your local town hall. When a car accident happens, a police officer from the local department will be there to sort things out. Bus drivers make sure kids get to public school in a safe and timely manner. All these people play an important role in making sure our communities run smoothly.