Voting and Elections

Week 5A

07/27/23

Voting and elections are an important activity every citizen should take part in because it promotes democracy and gives citizens an opportunity to participate in their government. Voter education increases civic engagement, and their participation is critical for a vibrant democratic country. Voting is also a way for citizens to express their preferences and opinions. Voting and elections have come a long way, for example, the voter registration process, and being able to vote has been difficult more so, for African Americans. Especially after the civil war, “southern states enacted literacy tests, grandfather clauses, and other requirements intended to disenfranchise Black voters in Alabama, Georgia, and Mississippi.” Knowing perfectly, most Black people could not read. The Voting Rights Act (VRA) in 1965, protected the rights of minority voters by prohibiting state laws that denied voting rights based on race.

 Nowadays voting has gotten easier due to technology, paper mailing, and transportation to voting sites. The United States electoral and voter system follows a strict structure to prevent voting fraud and increase the system security. In most states traditional paper registration is still preferred. My favorite of all the elections is the presidential election because there are only two major parties. The candidates visit major states to gain more voters and have debates that allow the voters to see their candidates answering questions. I thought the president and vice president were elected by popular vote, turns out it is through the Electoral College that determines the winner. Which is different in my country the president is elected by popular vote for a five-year term. `
Voting is a fundamental right as the nation continues to evolve and more citizens are expressing their right to vote. Actively shaping the country by choosing who they want their representative to be. For example, more LGBTQ people are being elected to governmental posts.