The Importance of Being Registered to Vote

“The right of citizens of the United States, who are eighteen years of age or older, to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of age,” the 26^th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.

During the Vietnam War, many young men, 18-20 years of age, were killed after being drafted to fight for a country in which they did not even have a “voice” in; at this time only those who were 21 or older were allowed to vote.

Congress began working towards a change to this in 1970 and on July 1, 1971, the 26^th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution was ratified.

The youth of America have seemed to take this right for granted in the past, with low voter turnout for the age group. However, in the upcoming 2008 Presidential Election, the youth vote seems to be more important than ever.

“Youth participation (at the polls) rose at a faster rate than any other age group,” according to a report on voter turnout in the 2008 Presidential Primary by the Nonprofit Voter Engagement Network (NVEN). [It] doubled and tripled in primaries and caucuses. Turnout by voters ages18-29 went up for the third consecutive national election year, also rising in the national elections of 2004 and 2006.”

A majority of young people interviewed were registered to vote and had a variety of issues they are concerned with for the upcoming election.        

A 22-year-old research assistant at Arizona State University was concerned about the health system in America and said she did not agree with Obama’s policies regarding it.

“Obama is pushing for a nationalized health program, and I disagree,” Sarah Robinson said. “I lived in England for 2 years, and their nationalized health system really degraded the quality of the medical service that was given. I don’t want to see that happen in America.”

Other young voters were more concerned about the economy, specifically, school funding and were still searching for answers in regards to their questions about it.

“It seems like the education system always gets some sort of cut somewhere whether it is after school programs for elementary kids, or if it is art classes or if it is affording new materials for the kids to use, ” said Courtney Droke, a 20-year-old student. “I would like to know if and how students who attend college going to get more funding or if there are going to be cuts made.”

Raza Mushtaq, a sophomore at ASU, thinks one of the most important issues of the election is often overlooked, race.

“[Race is an] issue often ignored, but I think it is important in who will win and what kind of agenda is pushed when the president is in the office,” Mushtaq said.

A fellow ASU student, agreed with Mushtaq, saying that she believed ethnicity would play an unnecessary role in the election.

“It may come down to whether people would rather see an African American President or a woman Vice President, instead of their future plans for the country,” 19-year-old Cassie Krusemark said.

The importance of registering to vote and being informed of current issues may start when a person turns 18, but it certainly does not end there. Eligible voters of any age should be registered and voting.

“An unprecedented 58.7 million voters, more than one in four of all eligible voters – participated in a primary or caucus,” according to the NVEN. “This number far exceeds the previous primary participation record of over 35 million, set in 19881. This is also well above the 33 million that participated the last time both party nominations were contested in 2000.”

Arizona ranked 30^th in the nation with a turnout of 23.7% of its eligible voters, according to a survey conducted by the US Election Project and published by the NVEN.

The upcoming election has sparked a fire in eligible voters to make their voice heard; a fire that has not been lit since the voting age was changed.

“A record one in four (28%) of the country’s estimated 210,000,000 eligible voters participated in a primary or caucus- a rate not seen since 1972, when the voting age was lowered to 18,” according to an Overall Comparison of 2000, 2004, and 2008 Voter Turnout by the NVEN.

This recent surge in voter turnout could be due to the country’s current economic crisis or the war in Iraq, among other issues, according to the NVEN. Whatever the reason, it is good that citizens of the U.S. are beginning to realize the power of even one vote.

In the words of Lyndon B. Johnson, “The vote is the most powerful instrument ever devised by man for breaking down injustice and destroying the terrible walls which imprison men because they are different from other men.”

Guest article contributed by Emily Chicoine
Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication

Technorati Tags: Right to Vote, U.S. Constitution