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Why is Voting Important

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Published: Mar 5, 2024

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How to Actually Guarantee the Right to Vote

A six-point checklist

As election season begins and Americans head to the polls, many would be shocked to learn that the United States Constitution does not guarantee them the right to vote. It instead leaves the question of voter qualifications mainly to the states, and bars voting discrimination only on the basis of certain protected categories, such as race and gender. What’s worse, courts for the past 50 years have repeatedly failed to protect Americans who have been denied the franchise or who face unnecessary hurdles exercising it.

The Supreme Court in 1973 refused to recognize that disenfranchisement of felons who had completed their sentences violated the Constitution. The Court in 2000 rejected the claim of residents of Washington, D.C., that they had the right to vote for members of Congress. Lower courts similarly rejected voting-rights claims brought by U.S. citizens living in U.S. territories such as Puerto Rico. The Supreme Court also upheld an Arizona law barring the third-party collection of mail-in ballots, a prohibition that made voting harder for Native Americans living on reservations.

Adam Serwer: The decision that could end voting rights

In the case of Bush v. Gore , which ended the disputed presidential election of 2000, the Court affirmed that the Constitution does not guarantee anyone the right to vote for president, confirming that states can take away that right at any time for future elections. Similarly, in 2008, the Court in Crawford v. Marion County Election Board allowed states to pass more onerous voting rules, such as strict voter-identification laws, without proof that such laws serve any state interests in preventing fraud or promoting voter confidence.

Perhaps worst of all was Shelby County v. Holder , in 2013, when the Court held that Congress no longer had the power to force states with a history of discrimination to get federal approval before making changes to their voting rules. Shelby County marked a new era in the Court’s approach to voting rights. The Constitution’s Fifteenth Amendment, barring discrimination on the basis of race, expressly recognizes Congress’s power to prevent such discrimination by passing appropriate legislation. Yet far from recognizing “the special role assigned to Congress in protecting the integrity of the democratic process in federal elections,” as Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s dissent suggested, the Court in Shelby County did not treat Congress as a coequal branch of government entitled to exercise its own judgment as to what laws are constitutionally required to prevent race discrimination in voting. Shelby County revealed how difficult it would be to get bold voting-rights legislation upheld by the Supreme Court even if Congress could get its act together to pass it.

With a Court that not only fails to protect voting rights on its own but that could also well stymie congressional efforts to provide that protection via ordinary legislation, Americans need a more direct path toward full enfranchisement: The time has come to add an amendment to the U.S. Constitution affirmatively protecting the right to vote. Voters in the United States can no longer depend on the negative protections of voting rights in the Constitution itself, or the Supreme Court’s interpretation of those rights, or Congress’s attempts to protect those rights when it is subject to what is essentially a Supreme Court veto.

Since the 1860s, voting-rights proponents have periodically suggested adding an affirmative right to vote to the Constitution, but these efforts have gone nowhere. More recently, some have thought such an amendment unnecessary. For a brief period in the 1960s, during the heyday of the Warren Court, the Supreme Court more boldly protected voting rights through a generous interpretation of the Fourteenth Amendment’s equal-protection clause. But that was decades ago, and efforts to expand voting rights in this direction have hit a brick wall at the conservative Supreme Court; indeed, some of the Warren Court voting-rights protections could soon be in danger. For this reason, it’s time to renew suggestions for a popular movement to protect the right to vote in the Constitution.

One might fairly ask how, if Congress cannot even pass ordinary voting-rights legislation with Republicans opposing Democrats on virtually all voting issues, we could expect it to pass a constitutional amendment with its much more difficult thresholds: An amendment requires support of two-thirds of each house of Congress and ratification by three-quarters of the states. Given intense political polarization, passage of this amendment is not happening anytime soon, even if Democrats take back both houses of Congress in 2024. But now is the time to begin the work.

The key is to think in the longer term and to build a political movement around passage of the amendment. That’s what happened in earlier times, as with passage of the Nineteenth Amendment ensuring gender equality in voting. Decades elapsed between 1874, when the Supreme Court rejected the argument that the Fourteenth Amendment gave women the right to vote, and 1920, when the Nineteenth Amendment was ratified. Along the way, women’s-rights activists built support for gender equality in voting state by state.

An amendment affirmatively protecting the right to vote could be structured in many ways. I have developed what I term a “basic” version of the constitutional right to vote, one that would continue to let states exclude noncitizens, nonresidents, children, and former or current felons, and which would not change voting rights for U.S. territories or abolish the Electoral College or change the Senate. In my new book , I also suggest how to expand the right to vote to make these more capacious changes, leaving the full scope of the amendment to those who would lead a 21st-century voting-rights movement.

By using the term “basic,” I do not mean to suggest that such a right embodied in the Constitution would be small, or inconsequential, or easily evaded. To the contrary, passage and ratification of the basic version of the amendment would be a monumental accomplishment that would profoundly change the nature of voting rights and elections in the United States.

A basic constitutional right to vote should have these six elements:

1. A Positive Right to Vote

The first provision of my proposed amendment is the most fundamental. It would guarantee the right of citizen, adult, resident non-felons to vote and to have that vote fairly and accurately counted. This provision would apply to all elections, federal, state, and local, including those for president and vice president. No longer could state legislatures threaten to take away the people’s right to vote for president.

This would be the first time an explicit, positive right to vote would be part of the Constitution. As we have seen, the Constitution generally frames voting rights in the negative and prohibits discrimination in voting on the basis of such prohibited categories as race. This new amendment, in essence, would codify the Warren Court–era rulings recognizing the right to vote as fundamental for this class of voters and would lock it in so that a hostile Supreme Court cannot continue to water down voting rights.

2. Equal Weighting of Votes

This provision would explicitly embed in the Constitution the Warren Court’s one-person, one-vote principle. It is necessary, despite rulings such as Reynolds v. Sims , because a future Supreme Court could overrule those cases and determine that the original public meaning of the equal-protection clause of the Fourteenth Amendment (or Article I as applied to congressional elections) does not require the drawing of districts with roughly equal populations.

Wilfred Codrington III: The electoral college’s racist origins

States and local governments would not have the power to create systems of their own, analogous to the Senate, in which each state is entitled to two senators regardless of population. Nor could states design other means of dividing voting power that give more voting power to some voters over others.

The provision would carve out voting for president and vice president, which the Constitution has always required to be conducted on a state-by-state basis through the Electoral College. That system weights the votes of voters in states with smaller populations as greater than those of voters in states with large populations. However, within each state, the votes for president must be equally weighted. The provision does not require an explicit carve-out for Senate elections, because Senate elections are conducted statewide, not in districts.

3. Automatic Voter Registration and Unique Voter-Identification Numbers

This provision helps implement the right to an equal vote. Voter registration and identification requirements are among the biggest sources of dispute in current election litigation. By making the government bear the burden and costs of registering all eligible voters and requiring the government to provide all eligible citizens with unique voter-identification numbers that would be used to help voters register across states and prevent double voting, elections may be run more securely with less litigation and greater voter confidence. And, of course, easing the path to voter registration promotes political equality by removing a hurdle for voters.

Some states may not want to set up the procedures for automatic voter registration and may prefer to leave the registration question to the federal government. States would have the option to set up their own system or leave it to the federal government. This means that the provision would not require a “federal takeover” of elections, as some conservatives fear.

David A. Graham: Actually good news about voting, for a change

Democrats and those on the left have reflexively opposed all voter-identification provisions. But such laws are ubiquitous in most other democracies because they are coupled with voter registration conducted by the government (and often using national identity cards, which the United States does not produce).

The real objection to these provisions as they have been implemented in the states is that they have put the onus on voters to get the right form of identification, which places an undue burden on certain people, such as students, poor voters, and others. Under the amendment, the government would take on all of those costs and burdens as part of the system of setting up automatic voter-registration systems. This will make the system work better across states (as people would have a single voter-identification number for their entire life, just as they have a single Social Security number) and ensure not only eased voter registration but also a more efficient and more secure voting system overall.

4. Ensuring Equal Voting Opportunities and Limiting Burdens on Voting Rights

This provision addresses two substantive points and gives a set of instructions to the courts.

First, voters in a state must have roughly equal voting opportunities. This provision does not require states to have a certain number of days of early voting (or even require early voting at all). It does mean, for example, that if a state decides to have an early-voting period, the opportunity for voters must be roughly the same. Any burdens on voting are measured on a per capita, not a per county, basis. This means that people in urban and rural voting areas should have similar wait times to vote. That might lead to more hours for early-polling places in areas with higher populations compared with sparsely populated areas. The provision does not allow a state to assign just one early-voting place per county, which would put a bigger burden on voters in larger counties and give only the illusion of equality or uniformity.

Second, the provision requires that voting not be unduly burdensome on voters and that impediments to voting be reasonably necessary. This requirement should again be measured not by a specific number of early-voting days but by the overall ease with which voters may vote. These standards are unavoidably general, but they should be applied by courts using reasonableness and common sense in a way that favors the enfranchisement of and easy voting opportunities for eligible voters.

5. Constitutionalizing Protection of Minority Voting Rights

This provision would transform what currently appears as Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act into a constitutional guarantee of equal treatment. This provision is necessary because the Fourteenth and Fifteenth Amendments have not been properly interpreted by the Supreme Court to adequately protect voting rights, and because a very conservative Court could one day determine that the section in question, because it is race conscious, itself now violates the equal-protection clause of the Fourteenth Amendment. Despite strides toward greater political equality, too much discrimination in voting remains, especially against African American, Latino, Native American, and Asian voters, to leave the issue to a congressional statute that can be neutered by the Supreme Court.

Read: Voter suppression is warping democracy

This constitutional provision would enshrine the original intent of Section 2 to provide meaningful protection for minority voters, rather than the watered-down version of the section that the Supreme Court has recently embraced.

6. Congress’s Broad Enforcement Powers

This provision clarifies that when Congress acts under its powers to enforce voting rights, it is fully equal with the Supreme Court. Rather than treating Congress as an ordinary litigant that has to produce enough evidence to satisfy the Supreme Court, the Court must accept congressional legislation protecting voting rights so long as it is rationally related to Congress’s purposes.

Looking across American history, the people, not the Supreme Court, have been the main protectors of voting rights. After the Supreme Court refused to recognize enslaved African Americans as citizens, and after the Civil War freed them, Congress passed and states ratified a series of amendments ending slavery, guaranteeing citizenship for those born in the United States, and barring discrimination in voting on the basis of race. After the Supreme Court refused to recognize equal voting rights for women, Congress passed and the states ratified the Nineteenth Amendment. So, too, with voting rights for 18-to-21-year-olds, and for the right of residents of Washington, D.C., to vote for president.

We can do it again, providing the American people with a real right to vote. It won’t solve all the problems with our election system, and it won’t happen tomorrow, but passing a right-to-vote amendment would go a long way toward ensuring greater enfranchisement, less litigation and uncertainty over voting rules, and a stronger democracy for all.

This essay has been adapted from Richard L. Hasen’s new book, A Real Right To Vote: How A Constitutional Amendment Can Safeguard American Democracy .

​When you buy a book using a link on this page, we receive a commission. Thank you for supporting The Atlantic.

Why Voting Is Important

“Voting is your civic duty.” This is a pretty common sentiment, especially each November as Election Day approaches. But what does it really mean? And what does it mean for Americans in particular?

Social Studies, Civics, U.S. History

Americans Voting

Typically in the United States, national elections draw large numbers of voters compared to local elections.

Hill Street Studios

Today, most American citizens who are 18 or over are entitled to vote in federal and state elections , but that was not always the case. The United States Constitution did not originally define who could or could not vote. It did, however, establish how voting would take place for certain positions in the new federal government.

Article 1 of the Constitution states that members of the House of Representatives would be elected directly by popular vote . Senators were originally chosen by state legislatures, but the 17th Amendment in 1913 changed that. Senators are now also directly elected by the people in a state.

The president, however, is not chosen by a direct vote but rather by a group known as the Electoral College . Each state has a certain number of delegates to the Electoral College , based on its population. During the election , when one person wins the popular vote in a state, he or she win the electoral votes for that state. (Maine and Nebraska do things a little differently). Once all of the votes are in, whichever candidate has the majority of electoral votes wins the election and becomes president. If one person does not have the majority, then the House of Representatives votes on who will become president.

Expanding Voting Rights Took Hundreds Of Years

When the Constitution was written, the question of who could vote was mostly left to the states. Through the early 1800s, only white male landowners were allowed to vote, while women, Black people, and other disadvantaged groups were not. Being denied the right to vote is called disenfranchisement .

It was not until the 15th Amendment in 1870 that Black men were given the right to vote. Even then, Black men faced difficulties when they tried to vote, such as poll taxes , literacy tests, and other measures.

These discriminatory practices would not end until the 1960s. In 1964, the 24th Amendment made poll taxes illegal. The next year, the Voting Rights Act of 1965 ended Jim Crow segregation laws.

The Passage Of The 19th Amendment

American women were disenfranchised until 1920. That year, the long struggle of the women's suffrage movement resulted in the 19th Amendment. However, Black women would continue to face many obstacles to vote even after the 19th Amendment.

With the removal of barriers based on race and sex, most all American citizens over the age of 21 could vote by the mid 1960s. In 1971, the American voting age was lowered to 18. At that time, many Americans felt if you were old enough to serve your country in the military, then you should be allowed to vote. The voting age still stands at 18 today. Many more Americans have voting rights now than in our Founding Fathers' day.

Does My Vote Really Make A Difference?

Do you sometimes think one person's vote cannot make much of a difference? Two of the closest elections in U.S. history might make you think again.

In 2000, Al Gore narrowly lost the Electoral College vote to George W. Bush. The election came down to a recount in Florida. In the end, Bush won Florida by 0.009 percent of the votes cast in the state, or 537 votes. If 600 more pro-Gore voters went to the polls in Florida that November, the election may have turned out differently. There may have been a different president from 2001-2009.

More recently, Donald Trump defeated Hillary Clinton in 2016 with an Electoral College win of 304 to 227. The election did not come down to a handful of votes in one state as it did in 2000. Clinton actually won the national popular vote by nearly three million votes, but Trump got enough electoral votes to become president.

Trump won the popular vote in key areas of "swing" states like Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, and Michigan. Like most states, these have a "winner take all" system. That means the popular vote winner gets all the state's electoral votes. The loser gets none. In 2016, the Electoral College decided a tight race.

Voter Impact In Smaller Elections

One voter may not directly elect the president. But if that vote is combined with others in a particular voting district or county it can definitely matter in a close election.

There are also local and state elections to consider. Presidential or other national elections usually get a significant voter turnout. Local elections, on the other hand, are usually decided by a much smaller group of voters.

Low turnout means that important elections, like those of a mayor or a city councilor, are decided by a limited group of voters. It is also true that local issues, such as those about schools or parks, can be decided by a small number of voters. In local elections even a single vote may be meaningful.

Be Active In Politics Before You Vote

If you are not yet 18, or are not a U.S. citizen, you can still participate in the election process. You may not be able to walk into a voting booth, but there are things you can do to get involved:

Be informed. Read up on political issues (both local and national) that are important to you and figure out where you stand.

Get out and talk to people. Even if you cannot vote, you can still voice opinions on social media, in your school newspaper, or in other public forums.

Volunteer. Work on a campaign to support a particular candidate. You can help with phone calls, door-to-door outreach, writing postcards, volunteering at campaign headquarters, etc. Your work can help get a candidate elected, even if you are not able to vote yourself.

Participating in free elections is one of the most important rights in American life. Many people in countries around the world do not have the same freedom, nor did many Americans in centuries past. No matter what you believe or whom you support, it is important to exercise your rights.

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The Importance Of Voting In America Essay

America, land of the free. The country where the voices of the common man are heard either individually or as a collective voice. We have the freedom to say what we want, when we want. We are accorded so much freedom of expression that we tend to take it for granted. In fact, most of us do not seem to realize that for all the freedoms we enjoy, there is only one small favor that our country asks for in return. That favor is to go to the polling centers to vote whenever necessary. The act of voting is not a privelege but a right of every American citizen, and yet very few people seem to understand its importance and relevance in our everyday lives. Voting is not a task that is done on a whim. It is a task that one must take seriously and accomplish with great pride and dignity. Indeed, voting is one of the most important tasks assigned to us as citizens of this great land. But why you might ask, must I vote when there are millions out there who will vote anyway. Why is my vote that important? Each vote is important because the government must hear the voices of the citizenry. Each vote shows that you care not only for your community, but for your country as well. Vote because you want to have a say in who will lead your community or the country. Vote because of the freedom we all experience, all the benefits we enjoy from the government, all stemmed from the fact we, as a collective group, exercise the right to have our voices heard through the ballot.

As I mentioned earlier, each vote is important because it signifies the belief and support of the people for a certain cause that affects our community or country at large. Regardless if it be for a national election like the presidency or a local vote for a proposition, people all have opinions that need to be heard. Those opinions and voices are heard with the cast of a ballot. By voting, we dictate what direction our government shall take and for how long. Do not ever forget that the government is there to serve us, not the other way around. Therefore, telling them how we feel about the way things are being run is important. We can only do that by voting to show our support or disgust on certain local or national issues and personalities.

When we choose not to exercise our right to vote, we put the future of our country at risk. We could have probably dodged the financial crisis bullet and the war in Iraq had everyone just turned out to vote back in the year 2000. That election came down to a mere handful of votes which showed all of us that indifference hurts not only individuals, but the whole country. People were indifferent and thought that their votes did not matter, now, we are reaping the rewards of that indifference. We are all paying for the error collectively. While if everyone had just taken the time to cast their votes back then, maybe, just maybe, the financial meltdown we are in right now could have been averted. Maybe 9/11 may not even have happened. If only people had taken their right to vote seriously. Last year, everyone felt the need to vote and a major change happened in our country. We have set our country on the path towards rehabilitation because we all took the time to vote and let our voices be heard. That is how important the act of voting is. That we can collectively and educated show our support, disgust and contempt for a person, part, or cause by simply voting pro or con.

We have to remember that the vote we cast will help to directly shape and build our nation. It will further dictate what freedoms and curtailments we shall experience and set in stone for the next generations to follow. Since the leaders we elect have the power to restrict our social freedoms or protect our freedoms. we must ensure that the people elected to office reflect our sentiments. Only by casting votes can we be sure to get accurate representation within the government. Those who care about their freedom and country must constantly be vigilant and vote in order to reflect the majority opinion. Each vote we cast will help shape our nation. It will prepare the future generations to either continue down the path of leadership that we have laid out for them or, change everything we did because of the repercussions that our votes will present to them by then.

Without the power of the ballot, our country will cease to function properly. Our vote is important to ensure the smooth running of our country and community. The votes cast will impact who shall lead our country and in what direction. Our most basic freedoms and the future freedom and security that we shall experience and leave as a legacy for our children and grandchildren all depend upon the voting decisions that we make today. For even though we cannot predict the future, we can at least lay the foundation for the future that we envision for the coming generations. That foundation laying can only be accomplished by making sure that we properly exercise our right to vote each and every time that we are called upon to do so on the local and national levels.

• Ninomiya, Kent. (N.A.). What is the importance of voting in America? . eHow . Web.
• The Pennsylvania Department of State’s Online Voting Information and Resource Center. Importance of voting. VotesPA Voting Rights and Election Integrity .
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• Chicago (N-B)

IvyPanda. (2021, November 9). The Importance Of Voting In America. https://ivypanda.com/essays/the-importance-of-voting-in-america/

"The Importance Of Voting In America." IvyPanda , 9 Nov. 2021, ivypanda.com/essays/the-importance-of-voting-in-america/.

IvyPanda . (2021) 'The Importance Of Voting In America'. 9 November.

IvyPanda . 2021. "The Importance Of Voting In America." November 9, 2021. https://ivypanda.com/essays/the-importance-of-voting-in-america/.

1. IvyPanda . "The Importance Of Voting In America." November 9, 2021. https://ivypanda.com/essays/the-importance-of-voting-in-america/.

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IvyPanda . "The Importance Of Voting In America." November 9, 2021. https://ivypanda.com/essays/the-importance-of-voting-in-america/.

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To Increase the Youth Vote, Address the Why and the How

By Bita Mosallai

Young people don’t turn out for elections. Young people don’t care about their government. Our government doesn’t need young people’s voices. These are some statements that have been continuously pushed down our throats since our first government class in high school, before we could even understand what it meant to vote. Some young people have come to believe our voices do not matter because older politicians do not pay attention to the issues we are concerned about.

As a first-time voter who was heavily involved in a youth voter registration drive last year, I believe two approaches must be taken to strengthen the youth vote. First, we need to address the larger systematic issue of why young people don’t think voting is important and, second, we must provide guidance to young voters through peer-to peer-contact about how to vote.

This new generation—Generation Z—is more outspoken and politically conscious than ever. Yet as I continually speak with people my age, there is still frustration with our government. Young people argue their voice is not actually heard in the political process or that they feel powerless with how our government is set up. I tell them: Why can’t the answer be to change our government? If you don't like a politician, vote them out. If you wish to see a bill on the policy agenda, vote for the politician who you know will support that bill. One of the most important ways we can create change and a better future for ourselves is by voting, because that's how our government has been set up. We need to provide appropriate support to young voters through civic education and in-person guidance, so they can get to a place where that frustration turns into productive action.

I’ve met young people that have devoted their entire life to civic engagement and activism, but I’ve also met people who didn’t care enough to vote in a general election. But if you’ve spoken to any young person, you know that every single one of us has a belief we are passionate about. Now, not every single person is using their vote to act on their beliefs, which is problematic because voting is ultimately how our representatives are elected. We need to make youth see why voting matters to them; they need to see they are not just voting for the President, they are voting for Congress, governors, important ballot measures, state judicial candidates, etc. They need to see that protesting and pressuring politicians through other methods is effective, but ultimately, they need someone in office that aligns with their views because other methods beyond voting can only do so much.

While guiding youth on why voting is important, the how also matters. Working on a youth voter registration drive last year with the Student PIRGs helped me realize that the best way to support youth voters was by validating the inevitable challenges they will face. Voting is complicated, even though older and more experienced people, as well as elected officials, make it out to be something as easy as filling out a form. For young people voting can be new and intimidating, with rules, deadlines, and many guidelines in place for specific states. Last year, I recognized that along with many young people being newly eligible to vote, voting by mail was a new concept for even experienced voters, so people needed assistance more than ever. Supporting young people through the process, rather than leaving them to figure it out for themselves, also motivates young people to continue voting in the future. 

Support becomes even more important when youth encounter all the information out there about politics and elections. I don’t believe that there is not enough accessible information; I believe there is too much information and resources, so voting becomes overwhelming. Simply googling how to sign up for a vote by mail ballot in Arizona took me through five different voter registration sites. All these different resources can be incredibly helpful if curated well, but they may intimidate voters further, and having one single voter registration tool and sticking with it could be one key to not confusing first-time voters. 

While we work to streamline resources, first-time voters can benefit from in-person guidance. One of the best ways to make the process easier is by enlisting the help of knowledgeable people who can answer questions. In particular, having other young people who are willing to answer questions can be even more effective—peer-to-peer contact is powerful. I have heard stories from friends and acquaintances who recalled how they got far through the process of registering to vote or requesting a ballot, but didn’t complete an easy step or missed a deadline. But the biggest problem is that they never reached out for help. We need to support our peers if we want them to contribute their much-needed voices.

Voting is not this easy process where you just check the box for President. There are complex voting laws, research you have to do to become an informed citizen, and then you have to do the work to keep elected officials accountable. The process can be overwhelming, but if we wish to construct our ideal government, we need to contribute our voice. If we wish to see a future where the youth vote is robust, we need to provide additional support to young voters and convince them voting is the most effective way of creating change. Young people won’t vote unless they believe their voices are valuable, and they may give in to defeat unless we are out there to help them and remind them there are people watching and waiting for us to give up.

Bita Mosallai is a junior at the University of Arizona. She works with the Student PIRG on civic engagement, food insecurity, and environmental efforts. She aims to combine her passions of education and government in her future career.

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Voting Awareness Essay

The voting awareness essay is a piece of writing that highlights the significance of voting. It explains how to vote and how to be a responsible voter. Many individuals desire to vote, yet many are unaware of the importance of voting or how to vote. This is where voter education comes into play. The goal of voter education is to assist individuals appreciate the significance of voting. Voting is an essential means for citizens to exert influence over their government. It is a technique for individuals to convey their desires to their leaders by increasing voter turnout. This will result in better government and what everyone desires: a free, fair, and representative democracy.

Voting allows individuals to become more active in their government while also holding it accountable. You must satisfy certain prerequisites in order to vote. Aside from voting, there are a few rules in place across the world to ensure fair elections. Knowledge Glow’s brief article about voting awareness helps us comprehend the importance of voting.

The Importance of Voting

Voting is an essential component of democracy, and it is essential for individuals to have a voice. Because everyone has the right to vote, all Indians may vote for the Prime Minister of their choosing. You can affect change and make a difference in your community by voting. It is also crucial to vote since legislation can only be repealed if the majority of citizens agree with it.

Voting is one way to become more involved with your government. Making a change in the world requires getting your voice heard and articulating the ideas of others who do not have a voice. Voting is a fantastic approach to bringing about change. Voting in elections helps citizens guarantee that the country’s rights and protection are improved.

Voting is a vital civic obligation that may have a big effect on our country’s destiny. Voting holds politicians accountable for their actions and establishes the foundation for our democracy. Voting also assures that public officials are compensated with tax money from those who can afford it. The most important decision of all is how to spend tax dollars; voting provides accountability for what goes into our government’s budget. The last thing we want is for politicians to be allowed to spend public funds without being held accountable by a vote of the people.

To summarize, this Knowledge Glow voting awareness essay for kids is intended to help children understand the importance of voting in a democracy. Voting provides citizens with a voice and allows them to participate in the democratic process. Voting also allows everyone to contribute to a more democratic society and makes the government more representative of the people. Visit Knowledge Glow for additional kids learning activities such as poetry and essays.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) on Voting Awareness Essay

In India, what is the voting age? In India, a person can begin voting at the age of 18.

What is the point of voting? We should vote so that our opinions are heard and our wishes are carried out. Voting is one of the most fundamental liberties that our country provides.

About The Author

Knowledge Glow

I am Komal Gupta, the founder of Knowledge Glow, and my team and I aim to fuel dreams and help the readers achieve success. While you prepare for your competitive exams, we will be right here to assist you in improving your general knowledge and gaining maximum numbers from objective questions. We started this website in 2021 to help students prepare for upcoming competitive exams. Whether you are preparing for civil services or any other exam, our resources will be valuable in the process.

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Voting Awareness Essay

The voting awareness essay is an article that discusses voting and its importance. It provides information about voting and how to be a responsible voter. A lot of people want to vote, but many are not aware of its need and how to cast it. This is where voting awareness comes into play. The idea of voting awareness is to help people understand the importance of voting. Voting is an important way for voters to control their government. It is a method for citizens to express what they want from their leaders by raising awareness about voting. This will lead to better governance and what everyone wants – a democracy that is free, fair and representative.

Voting helps citizens become more involved in their government and keep it accountable. To vote, you must meet specific requirements. In addition to voting, there are a few laws that ensure fair elections around the world. BYJU’S short essay on voting awareness helps us understand the vote’s significance.

Importance of Voting

Voting is an integral part of democracy, and it is necessary for people to have a voice. Everyone has the right to vote, which means that all Indians can vote for the Prime Minister of their choice. By voting, you can create change and make a difference in your community. It is also important to vote because you can only repeal a law if most citizens agree with it.

Voting is one way to be more civically engaged with your government. It is vital to make a difference in the world by having your voice heard and representing the views of people who don’t have a voice. If you want to create change, voting is an excellent way. Voting in election helps citizens ensure that the country is granted better rights and protection.

Voting is an important civic duty that can significantly impact the future of our country. Voting helps keep politicians accountable for their actions and creates the framework for our democracy. Voting also ensures that public officials are paid with the tax amount from the people who can afford to pay them. The most consequential decision of all is how to spend tax – voting ensures that there is accountability for what goes into our government’s budget. The last thing we want is for politicians to be able to spend public money without being held accountable by the public’s vote.

To conclude, this is BYJU’S voting awareness essay for kids to help them understand the significance of voting in a democracy. Voting gives citizens a voice and an opportunity to participate in the democratic process. Voting also allows everyone to contribute to the shared democracy and make the government more representative of the people. For more kids learning activities like worksheets , poems etc., visit BYJU’S website.

Frequently Asked Questions on Voting Awareness Essay

At what age can a person vote in india.

In India, a person can start voting once they turn 18.

Why should we vote?

We should vote to let our voices be heard and ensure that what we want is put into effect. Voting is one of the fundamental rights our country offers us.

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Essay on Election for Students and Children

500+ words essay on election.

Election is the process through which people can express their political opinion. They express this opinion by public voting to choose a political leader . Furthermore, this political leader would have authority and responsibility. Most noteworthy, Election is a formal group decision making the process. Also, the selected political leader would hold public office. The election is certainly a vital pillar of democracy. This is because; Election ensures that the government is of the people, by the people, and for the people.

Characteristics of Election

First of all, suffrage is an important part of Election . Most noteworthy, suffrage refers to the right to vote in Elections. The question of who may vote is certainly an important issue. The electorate probably never includes the entire population. Almost all countries prohibit individuals under the age of majority from voting. For example, in India, the age of majority is attainable at the age of 18 years.

The nomination of a candidate is also an important characteristic of Election. This means to officially suggest someone for Election. Nomination refers to the process of selecting a candidate for election to a public office. Furthermore, endorsements or testimonials are public statements to support a candidate’s nomination.

Another essential characteristic of Election is electoral systems. Electoral systems refer to detailed constitutional arrangements and voting systems. Furthermore, detailed constitutional arrangements and voting systems convert the vote into a political decision.

The first step is the tally of votes. For this purpose, there is the use of various vote counting systems and ballot. Then comes the determination of the result on the basis of the tally. Also, the categorization of most systems is as either proportional or majoritarian.

Scheduling refers to arranging and controlling of Elections. Elected officials are accountable to the people. Therefore, they must return to the voters at regular intervals of time. Elected officials must do that so as to seek a mandate to continue in office. Above all, most countries arrange elections at fixed regular intervals.

An election campaign is also an integral part of Election. Election campaign refers to an organized effort to positively influence the decision making of a particular group. Consequently, politicians compete with each other by trying to woo more and more individuals.

Get the huge list of more than 500 Essay Topics and Ideas

Importance of Election

First of all, the Election is a peaceful and efficient way of choosing political leaders. Furthermore, citizens of a Nation choose a leader by casting their votes. In this way, the citizens are able to choose an individual whose views appeal to them most. Hence, people are able to exercise their will in political leadership.

An election is an excellent opportunity for people to express their resentment. Most noteworthy, if people are unhappy with a particular leadership, then they can remove it from power. People can certainly replace an undesirous leadership with a better alternative through Election.

The election is a handsome opportunity for political participation. Furthermore, it is a way by which new issues can be raised in public. In most democratic countries, common citizens are allowed to contest elections independently.

Consequently, a citizen could introduce reforms which are not any political party’s agenda. Also, in most democratic countries, a citizen could form a new political party to contest Election.

Election helps keep the power of political leaders in check. The ruling parties cannot afford to do any wrongdoing to the public due to the risk of losing Election. Hence, Election serves as an efficient power check and control for those in the ruling power.

To sum it up, Election is the symbol of political freedom. Most noteworthy, it is the tool which puts authority in the hands of common people. Democracy certainly would be non-functional without it. People must realize the value of Elections and come out in large numbers to vote.

Q1 What are electoral systems?

A1  Electoral systems are detailed constitutional arrangements and voting systems. These detailed constitutional arrangements and voting systems convert the vote into a political decision.

Q2 How Election helps keep the power of the political leaders in check?

A2 Elections certainly help keep the power of the political leaders in check. This is because political leaders cannot afford to do any wrongdoing to the public due to the risk of losing Election

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Background Essay: Shall Women Have the Right to Vote (1866-1890)

Directions:

Keep these discussion questions in mind as you read the background essay, making marginal notes as desired. Respond to the reflection and analysis questions at the end of the essay.

Discussion Questions

• How had the work of women to end slavery helped them develop skills that would ultimately be useful in the women’s suffrage struggle?
• What might be meant by the term, “the conscience of the nation,” and how did the fight against slavery help demonstrate that concept?
• What arguments might have been made against women’s suffrage?
• Why were Western states the first to grant suffrage to women?

Introduction

After the Civil War, the nation was finally poised to extend the promise of liberty expressed in the Declaration of Independence to newly emancipated African Americans. But the women’s suffrage movement was split: Should women push to be included in the Fifteenth Amendment? Should they wait for the Fourteenth and Fifteenth Amendments to be adopted before turning to women’s suffrage, or should they seize the moment and demand the vote now? Not content to wait, Susan B. Anthony and other workers in the movement engaged in civil disobedience to wake the conscience of a nation. Meanwhile, railroads opened the West to settlement, and Western territories tried to boost population by offering votes for women.

Life for women in the mid-nineteenth century was as diverse as it is now. What was considered socially appropriate behavior for women varied widely across the country, based on region, social class, and other factors. Branches of the women’s suffrage movement disagreed regarding tactics, and some women (and many men) did not even believe women’s suffrage was appropriate or necessary. Ideals of the Cult of Domesticity, in which women were believed to possess the natural virtues of piety, purity, domesticity, and submissiveness, were still a powerful influence on culture. An important debate and split in the women’s suffrage movement between a state and national strategy emerged during this period.

The Cult of True Womanhood

The Cult of Domesticity, also known as the Cult of True Womanhood, affirmed the idea that natural differences between the sexes meant women, especially those of the upper and middle classes, were too delicate for work outside the home. According to this view, such women were more naturally suited to parenting, teaching, and making homes, which were their natural “sphere,” happy and peaceful for their families. In other words, it was unnatural and unladylike for women to work outside the home.

Educator and political activist Catharine Beecher wrote in 1871, “Woman’s great mission is to train immature, weak, and ignorant creatures [children] to obey the laws of God . . . first in the family, then in the school, then in the neighborhood, then in the nation, then in the world.” For Beecher and other writers, the role of homemaker was held up as an honored and dignified position for women, worthy of high esteem. Their contribution to public life would include managing the home in a manner that would support their husbands. According to this conception of the roles of men and women, men were considered to be exhausted, soiled, and corrupted by their participation in work and politics, and needed a peaceful, pure home life to enable them to recover their virtue.

Increasingly, women found their political voice through their work in social reform movements. Jane Addams, co-founder with Helen Gates Starr of Hull House and pioneer of social work in America, wrote in 1902, “The sphere of morals is the sphere of action . . . It is well to remind ourselves, from time to time, that ‘Ethics’ is but another word for ‘righteousness . . . ’” She noted that, to solve problems related to the needs of children, public health, and other social concerns that affected the home, women needed the vote.

In keeping with the feminine ideals of piety and purity, many women continued work within the temperance movement to campaign against the excesses of drunkenness. This cause was considered a socially permissible moral effort through which women could participate in public life, because of the damaging effects of alcohol abuse on the family. Annie Wittenmyer, a social reformer and war widow from Ohio who had reported on terrible hospital conditions during the Civil War, founded the Woman’s Christian Temperance Union (WCTU) in 1874 to build support for the idea of abstaining from alcohol use.

According to the tradition of Republican Motherhood, education should prepare girls to become mothers who raised educated citizens for the republic. In a challenge to the Cult of Domesticity, the latter half of the nineteenth century saw an expansion of broader academic opportunities for upper class females of college age in the United States. In the Northeast, liberal arts schools modeled after Wesleyan College (1836) in Macon, Georgia, opened. In 1844, Hillsdale College opened in Michigan, one of the first American colleges whose charter prohibited any discrimination based on race, religion, or sex. Vassar College in Poughkeepsie, New York, founded in 1861, and Wellesley College in Wellesley, Massachusetts, founded in 1875, also expanded educational opportunities for women. Teaching was among the first professions women entered in large numbers. During and after the Civil War, new opportunities also developed for women to become nurses.

New York City — The sewing-room at A.T. Stewart’s, between Ninth and Tenth Streets, Broadway and Fourth Avenue / Hyde, 1875. Library of Congress.

The Changing Roles of Women

While these career options did not radically challenge the cultural ideal of traditional womanhood, the work landscape of America was changing. As the United States economy grew to provide more options, people began to see themselves as consumers as well as producers. Indeed, mass consumerism drove new manufacturing methods. During the second industrial revolution, the United States started moving from an agricultural economy toward incorporating new modes of production, manufacturing, and consumer behavior.

Young working-class women worked in the same laundries, factories, and textile mills as poor and immigrant men, often spending twelve hours a day, seven days a week, in hot, dangerous conditions. Also, women found work as store clerks in the many new department stores that opened to sell factory-made clothing and other mass-produced items.

The Suffrage Movement Grows

Women continued to work to secure their right to vote. The Civil War ended in April of 1865 and the Thirteenth Amendment was ratified eight months later, banning slavery throughout the United States. A burning question remained: How would the rights of former slaves be protected? As the nation’s attention turned to civil rights and voting with the debates surrounding the Fourteenth and Fifteenth Amendments, many women hoped to seize the opportunity to gain the vote alongside African American men.

The Civil War had forced women’s suffrage advocates to pause their efforts toward winning the vote, but in 1866 they came together at the eleventh National Women’s Rights Convention in New York. The group voted to call itself the American Equal Rights Association and work for the rights of all Americans. Appealing to the Cult of Domesticity, they argued that giving women the vote would improve government by bringing women’s virtues of piety and purity into politics, resulting in a more civilized, “maternal commonwealth.”

The Movement Splits

The American Equal Rights Association seemed poised for success with such well-known leaders as Lucretia Mott, Lucy Stone, and Frederick Douglass. But internal divisions soon became clear. Whose rights should be secured first? Some, especially former abolitionist leaders, wanted to wait until newly emancipated African American men had been given the vote before working to win it for women. Newspaper editor Horace Greeley urged, “This is a critical period for the Republican Party and the life of our Nation . . . I conjure you to remember that this is ‘the negro’s hour,’ and your first duty now is to go through the State and plead his claims.” Lucy Stone, Henry Blackwell, and Julia Ward Howe agreed.

But for Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton, the time for women also was now. Along with many others, they saw the move to put the cause of women’s suffrage on hold as a betrayal of both the principles of equality and republicanism. Frederick Douglass, who saw suffrage for African American men as a matter of life or death, challenged Anthony on this question, asking whether she believed granting women the vote would truly do anything to change the inequality under law between the sexes. Without missing a beat, Anthony responded:

“ It will change the nature of one thing very much, and that is the dependent condition of woman. It will place her where she can earn her own bread, so that she may go out into the world an equal competitor in the struggle for life.”

In the wake of this bitter debate, not one but two national organizations for women’s suffrage were established in 1869. Stone and Blackwell founded the American Woman Suffrage Association (AWSA). Worried that the Fifteenth Amendment would not pass if it included votes for women, the AWSA put their energy into convincing the individual states to give women the vote in their state constitutions. Anthony and Stanton founded the National Woman Suffrage Association (NWSA). They worked to win votes for women via an amendment to the U.S. Constitution at the same time as it would protect the right of former slaves to vote. Anthony and Stanton started the NWSA’s newspaper, The Revolution, in 1868. Its motto was, “Men, their rights, and nothing more; women, their rights, and nothing less.”

The NWSA was a broad coalition that included some progressives who questioned the fitness of African Americans and immigrants to vote because of the prevailing views of Social Darwinism. The racism against black males voting was especially prevalent in the South where white women supported women’s suffrage as a means of preserving white supremacy. In addition, throughout the country strong sentiment reflected the view that any non-white or immigrant individual was racially inferior and too ignorant to vote. In this vein, Anthony and Stanton used racially charged language in advocating for an educational requirement to vote. Unfortunately for many, universal suffrage challenged too many of their assumptions about the prevailing social structure.

Photograph of Lucy Stone between 1840 and 1860. Library of Congress.

The New Departure: Testing the Fourteenth Amendment

But there was another amendment which interested NWSA: the Fourteenth. In keeping with NWSA’s more confrontational approach, Anthony decided to test the meaning of the newly ratified Fourteenth Amendment. The Amendment stated in part, “No state shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States…” Anthony thought it was clear that this language protected the right of women to vote. After all, wasn’t voting a privilege of citizens?

The Fourteenth Amendment went on to state that representation in Congress would be reduced for states which denied the vote to male inhabitants over 21. In other words, states could choose to deny men over 21 the vote, but they would be punished with proportionally less representation (and therefore less power) in Congress. So in the end, the Fourteenth Amendment encouraged states to give all men over 21 the vote, but did not require it. The Fifteenth Amendment, ratified in 1870, banned states from denying the vote based on race, color, or having been enslaved in the past.

Susan B. Anthony on Trial

It was the Fourteenth Amendment’s protection of “privileges or immunities” that Anthony decided to test. On November 5, 1872, she and two dozen other women walked into the local polling place in Rochester, New York, and cast a vote in the presidential election. (Anthony voted for Ulysses S. Grant.) She was arrested and charged with voting in a federal election “without having a lawful right to vote.”

Before her trial, 52-year-old Anthony traveled all over her home county giving a speech entitled “Is it a Crime for a Citizen of the United States to Vote?” In it, she called on all her fellow citizens, from judges to potential jurors, to support equal rights for women.

At her trial, Anthony’s lawyer pointed out the unequal treatment under the law:

“ If this same act [voting] had been done by her brother, it would have been honorable. But having been done by a woman, it is said to be a crime . . . I believe this is the first instance in which a woman has been arraigned [accused] in a criminal court merely on account of her sex.”

The judge refused to let Anthony testify in her own defense, found her guilty of voting without the right to do so, and ordered her to pay a $100 fine. Anthony responded:

“ In your ordered verdict of guilty, you have trampled underfoot every vital principle of our government. My natural rights, my civil rights, my political rights, my judicial rights are all alike ignored . . . I shall never pay a dollar of your unjust penalty. And I shall earnestly and persistently continue to urge all women.” She concluded by quoting Thomas Jefferson: “Resistance to tyranny is obedience to God.”

Anthony’s case did not make it all the way to the Supreme Court. However, the Court did rule three years later in a different case, Minor v. Happersett (1875), that voting was not among the privileges or immunities of citizens and the Fourteenth Amendment did not protect a woman’s right to vote.

A caricature of Susan B. Anthony that appeared in a New York newspaper right before her trial. Thomas Wust, June 5, 1873. Library of Congress.

Suffrage in the West

While Anthony and other suffragists were agitating in the Northeast, railroads had helped open up the Great Plains and the American West to settlement. The Gold Rush of 1849 had enticed many thousands of settlers to the rugged West, and homesteading pioneers continued to push the frontier. These territories (and later states), were among the first to give women the right to vote: Wyoming Territory in 1869, followed by Utah Territory (1870), and Washington Territory (1883).

These territories had many reasons for extending suffrage to women, most related to the need to increase population. They would need to meet minimum population requirements to apply for statehood, and the free publicity they would get for giving women the vote might bring more people. And they did not just need more people—they needed women: There were six males for every female in some places. Some were motivated to give white women the vote to offset the influence of African American votes. And finally, there were, of course, those who genuinely believed that giving women the vote was the right thing to do.

Though several western legislatures had considered proposals to give women the vote since the 1850s, in 1869 Wyoming became the first territory to give women full political rights, including voting and eligibility to hold public office. In 1870, Louisa Garner Swain was the first woman in Wyoming to cast a ballot, and a life-sized statue honors her memory in Laramie.

Under territorial government, Wyoming’s population had grown slowly and most people lived on ranches or in small towns. Territorial leaders believed Wyoming would be more attractive to newcomers once statehood was achieved, as had been the case in other western states. The territory came close to reaching the threshold of 60,000 people for statehood, but many doubted whether that number had actually been reached.

Territorial Governor Francis E. Warren refused to wait for more people to move there. He set in motion the plans for a constitutional convention. Though they had the right to do so, no women ran for seats at the Wyoming constitutional convention. Borrowing passages from other state constitutions, delegates quickly drafted the constitution in September 1889. The new element of this constitution is that it enshrined the protections of women’s political rights by simply stating that equality would exist without reference to gender. Only one delegate, Louis J. Palmer, objected to women’s suffrage. Wyoming voters approved the document in November, and the territory applied for statehood.

In the House of Representatives there was some opposition, mostly from Democrats, because the territory was known to lean Republican. Debate did not openly center on party affiliation, but on a combination of doubts about whether Wyoming had truly achieved the required population and on reluctance to admit a state where women had political rights. In response, Wyoming’s legislature sent a telegram: “We will remain out of the Union a hundred years rather than come in without our women!” Wyoming officially joined the union in 1890, becoming the 44th state. Anthony praised Wyoming for its adherence to the nation’s Founding principles: “Wyoming is the first place on God’s green earth which could consistently claim to be the land of the free!”

Representative Women, seven prominent figures of the suffrage and women’s rights movement. Clockwise from the top: Lucretia Mott, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Mary Livermore, Lydia Marie Child, Susan B. Anthony, Grace Greenwood, and Anna E. Dickinson (center). L. Schamer; L. Prang & Co. publisher, 1870. Library of Congress.

REFLECTION AND ANALYSIS QUESTIONS

• What was the Cult of True Womanhood, or Cult of Domesticity?
• How did the Industrial Revolution challenge the notion that upper- and middle-class women’s bodies were too delicate for work outside the home?
• Describe the events leading to the split in the women’s movement in 1869.
• What are some actions in which Susan B. Anthony worked for the cause of women’s suffrage in a very personal way?
• The Fourteenth Amendment is ratified
• Susan B. Anthony is jailed for voting
• Western territories give women the vote
• Other (explain)
• Principles: equality, republican/representative government, popular sovereignty, federalism, inalienable rights, freedom of speech/press/assembly
• Virtues: perseverance, contribution, moderation, resourcefulness, courage, respect, justice

Essay on My Vote My Right

Students are often asked to write an essay on My Vote My Right in their schools and colleges. And if you’re also looking for the same, we have created 100-word, 250-word, and 500-word essays on the topic.

Let’s take a look…

100 Words Essay on My Vote My Right

Introduction.

Voting is a fundamental right of every citizen. It’s our way to voice our opinions and choose our leaders.

Importance of Voting

Voting is crucial for democracy. It allows us to select competent leaders and hold them accountable.

Responsibility of Citizens

As responsible citizens, we should use our voting rights wisely. It’s our duty to vote for the betterment of our society.

In conclusion, our vote is our right. We should value it and use it responsibly to shape our country’s future.

250 Words Essay on My Vote My Right

The significance of voting.

Voting is not just a right; it is a privilege and a responsibility. It is the most potent nonviolent tool or weapon in a democratic society. We make choices about the leaders who will shape the policy and direction of our communities, our countries, and our world.

The Power of a Single Vote

Many may argue that a single vote does not make a difference. However, history is replete with instances where the destiny of nations was changed by a single vote. It is the collective power of individual votes that shapes the outcome of an election. Every vote counts in the democratic process.

The Impact of Not Voting

When we choose not to vote, we surrender our voice. We let others decide our future. The consequences can be dire, leading to the election of leaders not aligned with our values or the enactment of policies that negatively affect our lives.

My Vote, My Right

The right to vote is a fundamental aspect of civil liberties and human rights. It is a direct way for citizens to influence governmental decisions. It is our right to vote that safeguards our democracy, ensuring that power truly belongs to the people.

The act of voting is a declaration of our commitment to democracy, to one another, and to the principles of liberty and justice. It is an affirmation that we value our right to make choices about who governs us and how we are governed. My vote, indeed, is my right.

500 Words Essay on My Vote My Right

Introduction: the power of a single vote.

The right to vote is a cornerstone of any democratic society. It is through this right that citizens participate in the democratic process, choosing representatives who align with their beliefs and values. The phrase “My Vote, My Right” encapsulates this principle, emphasizing the personal power and responsibility inherent in the act of voting.

The Concept of Voting Rights

Voting rights are more than just a legal entitlement; they are a reflection of a society’s commitment to equality and justice. They ensure that all citizens, regardless of their socio-economic status, race, or gender, have a say in the political direction of their country. In essence, voting rights are a manifestation of the democratic principle that power ultimately resides with the people.

Historical Perspective and Struggle

The struggle for voting rights has been a long and arduous journey. From the suffragette movement that fought for women’s voting rights to the Civil Rights movement that sought to end racial discrimination in voting, history is replete with instances of people battling for this fundamental right. These struggles underscore the importance of voting rights and serve as a reminder that they should never be taken for granted.

The Impact of a Single Vote

The power of a single vote should not be underestimated. There have been numerous instances in history where elections have been decided by a handful of votes. Each vote contributes to the final outcome, and hence, each vote matters. It is through the collective power of individual votes that societal change is brought about.

Challenges to Voting Rights

Despite the importance of voting rights, they are often under threat. Voter suppression, disenfranchisement, and gerrymandering are some of the tactics used to undermine the democratic process. It is the responsibility of every citizen to stay vigilant against such threats and to fight for the preservation and expansion of voting rights.

The Role of Youth in Upholding Voting Rights

As the future leaders of society, college students play a crucial role in upholding voting rights. They can do this by educating themselves and others about the importance of voting, participating in peaceful protests against voter suppression, and most importantly, by exercising their right to vote. By doing so, they can ensure that the democratic process remains robust and representative of the people’s will.

Conclusion: My Vote, My Right

In conclusion, the phrase “My Vote, My Right” is not just a statement of a legal entitlement, but a declaration of personal power and responsibility. It is a call to action for every citizen to participate in the democratic process, and a reminder that the power to shape society lies in our hands. Whether we choose to exercise this power or not, the consequences will be ours to bear. Therefore, let us not take our voting rights for granted, but instead, use them to create a society that reflects our values and aspirations.

That’s it! I hope the essay helped you.

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Guest Essay

A Reversal Cannot Undo the Damage Caused by This Voting Fraud Case

By Gregory Nolan

Mr. Nolan is a senior counsel at Brown White & Osborn and a former federal prosecutor and counsel at States United Democracy Center.

When a Texas appeals court reversed itself last week and acquitted Crystal Mason, a mother of three, in a voting fraud case, it ended almost a decade in which Ms. Mason lived in fear of being torn away from her family and imprisoned.

In 2018, she was sentenced to a five-year prison term for illegally casting a provisional ballot in the 2016 election.

Though the prosecution of Ms. Mason ultimately failed, it still could chill people’s willingness to exercise their right to vote. Few would want to vote if it means going through what Ms. Mason did. As such, the reversal in her case cannot undo much of the damage that irresponsible Texas prosecutors wrought.

As the federal circuit court of appeals that oversees Texas recognized decades ago, “short of physical violence,” nothing has “a more chilling effect” on voting than “baseless arrests and prosecutions.” Unfortunately, that may be the point of bringing cases like Ms. Mason’s, as they suggest apparent racial disparities at work in voting-fraud prosecutions.

In November 2016, Ms. Mason went to vote in the presidential election. She was on the fence about voting, but her mother convinced her : “If you can vote, go vote, you have to have your voice heard,” Ms. Mason recalled her saying.

But when she arrived at her precinct, she was surprised to learn that her name wasn’t on the rolls, so she cast a provisional ballot. In return for trying to do her civic duty, Texas prosecutors tried to put her in prison .

When Ms. Mason voted, she was on federal supervised release, which is like a term of probation that federal criminal defendants serve after leaving prison. Those on release must obey certain court-ordered conditions but are otherwise free to live their life as they see fit. Under Texas law, such individuals are ineligible to vote, which Ms. Mason did not know. Prosecutors charged her anyway, convicting her on a theory that they did not have to prove that she knew she was ineligible; they just had to prove that she was ineligible.

An appellate court agreed with the prosecutors’ theory and upheld her conviction while noting , “The evidence does not show that she voted for any fraudulent purpose.”

Texas’ highest criminal court ruled that the state’s voter fraud statute requires proof that a defendant knew she was ineligible and sent the case back to the lower appellate court, where Ms. Mason’s conviction was overturned .

Last year I represented a bipartisan group of former state attorneys general, U.S. attorneys and Justice Department officials who argued as amici curiae in Ms. Mason’s appeal that “if eligible voters believe that a mistake about their eligibility could lead to prosecution and conviction, they will understandably think twice before voting.”

Other unjust voter fraud cases, like a number of those after the creation of an election police unit by Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida, unleashed havoc in those defendants’ lives, even though a large proportion of the cases were dismissed. And anecdotal evidence indicates that the chilling effect of these Florida cases is very real, not theoretical. As a voting rights attorney with the NAACP Legal Defense Fund recounted , “We’ve heard stories about voters who are eligible to vote but have a criminal conviction in their past, and they are now scared to register and vote.”

To avoid such misguided prosecutions, prosecutors need to adopt the maxim that when a potentially criminal act has a close relationship to a constitutional right, only cases with robust evidence of criminal intent should be prosecuted.

Prosecutorial restraint is especially critical in the context of former felons who impermissibly try to cast a ballot, like Ms. Mason. As a Brennan Center report explains: “The laws concerning eligibility vary from state to state and can be confusing: Different voters are disenfranchised for different convictions for different lengths of time.”

The same report even provides survey data showing that election officials often do not know the law in their state for felon re-enfranchisement. Commenting on Ms. Mason’s case in 2021, a Republican legislator in Texas said , “I would not have known that being on supervised release would have made you ineligible” to vote.

Notably, felon-disenfranchisement laws do not affect racial groups equally. A 2022 report from the Sentencing Project shows that “one in 19 African Americans of voting age is disenfranchised, a rate 3.5 times that of non-African Americans,” with more than 1 in 10 being disenfranchised in seven, mostly Southern states. So when prosecutions under these laws chill votes, it is Black votes that they are disproportionately chilling. Indeed, approximately two-thirds of those rounded up in the first wave of Governor DeSantis’s election unit’s arrests were Black.

Sentencing can add another layer to the racial aspect, which should be no surprise, given the disproportionately harsher sentences that Black defendants generally endure. Facing similar charges, Ms. Mason and well-heeled white offenders received strikingly divergent sentences — a five-year prison sentence for her, a slap on the wrist for them. In Ms. Mason’s home county, for example, a justice of the peace who falsified names to get on a primary ballot was sentenced to probation. In Georgia, a state Republican official just last week received a $5,000 fine for illegally voting nine times.

The problem with prosecuting marginal voter fraud cases goes beyond its chilling effect. If the goal is truly to ensure that only eligible voters vote, it is actually an ineffective tool in a state’s arsenal. Texas, for instance, has numerous safeguards in place that are designed to permit only lawful votes to be counted. In the context of felons improperly voting, these safeguards exist at the local, state and federal levels. Indeed, in Ms. Mason’s case, such safeguards worked: The provisional vote that almost cost her five years of her life was never counted.

It is unjust that some people might not vote because reckless prosecutions like Ms. Mason’s intimidate them. As Ms. Mason’s own case demonstrates, courts cannot stop these injustices from happening; only ethical prosecutors with a firm commitment to safeguarding constitutional rights can do that.

Gregory Nolan is a senior counsel at Brown White & Osborn and a former federal prosecutor and counsel at States United Democracy Center.

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An earlier version of this article included an outdated affiliation for an organization. The NAACP Legal Defense Fund is no longer part of the N.A.A.C.P.

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