Why Vote

Why Vote? The twenty fourth amendment, section one in the United States Constitution gives citizens the right to vote in any primary or other election for President or Vice President, for electors for President or Vice President, or for Senator or Representatives in Congress, and shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or any state by reason of failure to pay any poll tax or other tax (24 Amendment ). Voting is a privilege that our ancestors fought for, as citizens of a democracy it is important for us to exercise our right to vote. Voting provides a way for citizens to voice their opinion regarding elected leaders and overall polices. As discussed in Media and Society class voting gives citizens not only the opportunity to voice their opinions but to hold elected officials accountable for their decisions. Even though voting is an important aspect for an effective democracy there has been lower participation in recent years among youth. Between 2008 and 2010 young voter turnout fell 60% (Nichols). There are many factors that attribute to this decline in youth voting participation, and many of these factors are due to media’s lack of effort to inform and appeal to this generation. To increase voting participation in this segment media professionals need to do a better job of informing and equipping young citizens with the information they need to participate in a democracy. During the “Election 2012: Why Should I Care” panel held at Mercer University, Brandon Ryan discussed some of these leading factors in the decline of youth voters. These factors included they are not registered and are unaware of where polling takes place, their lack of interest in the issues of national election, and belief that their vote will not make a difference. Media professionals would eliminate these factors if they abide by the fundamental elements of journalism. According to Kovach and Rosenstiel ,