Jovon Holts
Dr. Grubbs
English 1303
3 March 2019
Is Voting Important?
Voting is one of the most important rights and responsibilities that US citizens have.
There are around 150 million Americans that are qualified to vote. Even with more than a 3rd of
the American population being qualified voters, many choose not to vote. The lack of support
within voting stems from the idea that not everyone’s vote count, or theirs won’t make a
difference. But even with all of these speculations, the truth is, voting is a very important
opportunity that every US citizen should take advantage of. There are several reasons why voting
is important such as giving citizens a platform to exercise the first amendment, and determining
the future economy of our country.
One of the reasons voting is important is because it gives citizens the opportunity to
exercise the first amendment within national decisions. For many years the right to vote was a
privilege that had to be fought for amongst women and minorities, so it is important that people
appreciate the opportunity when given. Voting legally allows all US citizens to place their
personal input on the country’s future without any repercussions. In an article called “The
evolution of American voting rights in 242 years shows how far we've come — and how far we
still have to go” by the Business Insider website, two journalists discuss the hardships that people
went through to gain the privilege to vote and why we should embrace the right we fought for.
Based from the article, the author states, “Men and women of color would continue to fight to
battle discriminatory voting practices for decades even after technically receiving the right to
vote, culminating in the historic civil rights movement of the 1950s and 1960s, which led to
landmark legislation that transformed American voting rights” (Panetta, Reaney). This quote
helps reveal that there was a strong dedication for ALL Americans voices to be heard, and it took
time and effort to make sure nobody was excluded from the booths. Even after minorities and
women were granted permission to vote in the U.S, there are still many countries that won’t
allow it. Based from the VOA online article called, “Voting rights expansion across the globe”,
the author cites, “The United States’ landmark Voting Rights Act, despite what many see as its
recent weakening, is a global rarity in terms of legislation that explicitly safeguards minorities’
access to the ballot.” It is not only our responsibility to vote for the good of our country, but also
for those who are dying and fighting overseas to have the same voice and opportunity to help
their country move forward. We must keep in mind the importance of obtaining the privilege to
vote, because it is an opportunity that wasn’t given to many then…..or now.
An additional argument that relates to the importance of voting is that it helps citizens
mold the future state of our country. Voting gives the population an opportunity to become
hands-on amongst the way they would like to be governed and what they would like the country
to develop into within years to come. According to an online article called “Why it’s essential to
vote” from the Study Breaks website, the author states, “Many peoples’ hesitation to vote stems
from the idea that their vote doesn’t directly affect their life. Your vote this fall, or lack thereof,
has a say in determining not only the president for the next 4-8 years, but also the federal judges
whose decisions do affect the laws you have to abide by” (Friou). Based from this quote, it
shows how voting impacts the state of your future and how it can affect your life with one
decision. Many people forget that voting doesn’t only determine the temporary president in
office, but also the acts and laws that will be passed during that term, which will propose
changes to the future and affect your living standards. It is important to be aware of all future
outcomes that voting will have.
There are several reasons why voting is important. Helping to determine our country’s
future fate, and exercising the first amendment are two reasons that play major roles on the
significance of voting. With these reasons, many can help find the knowledge as to why voting
shouldn’t be an option in this country, but a necessity.
WORKS CITED
Friou, Rebecca. “Why it’s essential to vote.” StudyBreaks.com, 26 Sep. 2016,
https://studybreaks.com/news-politics/why-its-essential-to-vote/
Guensburg, Carol. “Voting Rights Expansion Pressed Across Globe”. VOA News, 5 Aug. 2015,
https://www.voanews.com/a/voting-rights-expansion-pressed-across-globe/2903078.html
Panetta, Grace, and Reaney, Olivia. “The evolution of American voting rights in 242 years
shows how far we've come — and how far we still have to go” Business Insider, 15 Feb. 2019,
https://www.businessinsider.com/when-women-got-the-right-to-vote-american-voting-rights-tim
eline-2018-10
