Voter apathy

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Only forty-four percent of the registered North Carolina voters filled out a ballot for the midterm election.The United States fought long and hard for democracy, but those numbers show we are not taking advantage of it. That percentage alone is enough for American citizens to question what their country really stands for if they preach democracy, but don’t act upon it.

Some people who vote may have their own personal reasons for why they chose to vote for a candidate, but other people have a different method: choosing the first person listed on the ballot. This becomes known as “ballot fatigue.” Unfortunately, the farther down the ballot, the fewer votes each candidate receives. Politicians could win an election by just their having their name listed first on a ballot.

For a democracy to be successful, it requires the public to be active participants. Every eligible voter, under any circumstance, should be equally represented no matter their social, financial, or educational status.

To avoid ballot fatigue, eligible voters are encouraged to be educated on the political topics to fully understand each party’s beliefs. Voting allows citizens to voice their opinion while honoring our founding fathers’ commitment to establishing a democratic nation.

The U.S. consistently has lower levels of voter participation compared to other countries that also have a democracy. Democratic countries on the Western hemisphere maintain an average of 90% of the public casting votes and participating in elections. It becomes almost hypocritical for a prominent country such as America, to preach democracy, but nearly half of Americans don’t care enough to cast a vote.

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