7 Reasons why many Americans didn't vote in midterm elections 2022
It is known
that voting is a right that allows citizens to make their voices heard, but the
reality is that as many as half of eligible voters in the US still don’t
participate in the election process.
People’s
motivations for voting vary. They might believe voting is their civic duty and
that their ballot has the power to make a difference. Others just want to fit
in with their peers, or their anger about a certain issue drives them to the
polls.
1- Hundreds
of thousands of nonvoters would vote if they could. Voters need identification
to vote in 36 states, which means the 21 million Americans who don’t have
government-issued photo ID are at risk of missing out. Financial barriers, lack
of access to transportation, and limited information can make it difficult for
older people, people of color, and low-income people to obtain an ID.
2- Election
Day is held on Tuesdays. Sunday is the most common voting day around the world,
except in the US. Election Day falls on Tuesdays in the country and is not a
federal holiday, presenting a dilemma for many workers who don’t get paid time
off to go to polling place and wait in line. While early voting and mail-in
voting gives citizens more flexibility, not all states offer these options.
3- Former
and current prisoners convicted of felonies are another group of people who are
often disenfranchised during elections, especially if they are African
American. Maine and Vermont are the only states that do not prohibit those
convicted of felonies from voting, even when they are in prison.
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4- The
Republican and Democratic parties are the two largest political parties in the
US. The 7% of citizens who don’t support either and are registered as
independent tend to be less politically engaged.
5- Nonvoters'
reasons for not voting include:
- not being
registered to vote
- not being
interested in politics
- not liking
the candidates
- a feeling
their vote wouldn't have made a difference
- being undecided
on whom to vote for
6- The
majority of people who did not register to vote simply lacked interested in
politics. It would be interesting to examine why there is such a lack of
interest in politics, given that it also was the most common reason given why
registered voters did not vote.
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7- There are
a variety of reasons Americans do not vote, reasons such as declining trust in
the political system, political alienation, feelings of powerlessness and
“inefficacy,” not qualifying to vote, and the inconvenience of voting (e.g.,
for older people or those with a disability).