Voting In America Essay

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America is structured by a government that is driven and created by its own citizens and Voting is the very thing that gives Americans the opportunity to voice their opinion. To ensure voting rights Americans must vote. Abraham Lincoln once said, “Elections belong to the people. It's their decision. If they decide to turn their back on the fire and burn their behinds, then they will just have to sit on their blisters.” To ensure voting rights people need to feel inclined to vote. To do this people must first be made to believe that their vote matters, and secondly, the act of voting itself needs to be simplified. One way to ensure that American citizens join into the democratic process is by conveying the importance of their vote. According …show more content…

For example, according to the International Business Times, states mostly in the south, where there are the most minorities and people in poverty have or are beginning to create strict ID laws. In 2013, according to the NY Times, the Supreme Court allowed selected states to change their voting laws without federal approval. Voter ID requirements is an obstacle Americans are faced with because getting an ID in selected states can be costly. Although some states offer the option to get a free ID, documentation is required and if none can be given then money is still involved. Places to purchase an ID to vote are being shut down in certain communities and are only open on certain days of the week with a small time window which can be difficult for a person who works a service job that does not get paid time off. Elections are held during the week which calls for people to miss work. Including the days of elections, long lines is an issue which calls for an almost an entire day of work to be sacrificed to vote. This creates an ultimatum between voting and having a day’s work of money. These obstacles are affecting people in poverty and minorities the most and are the reasons why the voting percentages of the country’s population are lower than they should be. If these obstacles are taken away and people are fairly given the opportunity to vote, more will exercise the

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