Voting- Why it matters… The right to vote is perhaps the most important privilege you will have as a citizen in a representative democracy. Elections give citizens the opportunity to choose their leaders, decide important issues, and shape their government. Voting also allows you to express satisfaction or dissatisfaction with the performance of the people who already hold office and want to be reelected.

Types of Citizens Native Born: born in the U.S. or a U.S. territory, or a child of a U.S. citizen Naturalized: becomes a legal U.S. Citizen through the process of naturalization Each of these types of citizens is eligible to register to vote.

Elements of Citizenship Some opportunities citizens have to influence their government: VOTING Running for Political Office Jury Duty Obeying Laws Paying Taxes Serving in the Military Community Service Communicating your opinion about issues to elected officials Which of the above are duties/obligations and which are responsibilities?

Role of Citizen Citizens of the U.S. play a role in government. This role can be divided into two main categories: Obligations: things you must do and if you don’t there is a punishment Responsibilities: things you SHOULD do, but there is no punishment.

A Democratic Society The U.S. Government derives its power from the bottom up (people up to the government). The power comes FROM the citizens. Active participation by all citizens is a safeguard against abuses of power and corruption. To preserve and protect freedoms and rights, citizens need to watch what the government is doing. This safeguards and secures freedoms and rights for future generations.

Voting- it is your responsibility Voting is one of the most sacred and important privileges U.S. citizens enjoy. In the beginning of our nation’s history, most states only granted the right to vote to white, male, land owners. The following amendments to the U.S. Constitution have been hard fought battles to expand voting rights: 26 th Amendment: allowed those 18 years or older to vote; 24 th Amendment: prohibited poll taxes in federal elections 19 th Amendment: granted voting rights to women; 15 th Amendment: prohibited government from denying a person’s right to vote on the basis of race. By NOT voting, the minority makes decisions for all: 50-60% of eligible voters vote in Presidential elections 40-50% of eligible voters vote in Congressional elections 30-40% of eligible voters vote in state/local elections

Voting Counts Your vote is counted EXACTLY the same way as everyone else’s vote! In a speech in 1965, President Lyndon Johnson called the vote: “the most powerful instrument ever devised…for breaking down injustice.” What do you think President Johnson meant by this statement? Use specific examples from U.S. History to support your response.

Discussion Questions If voting is so important to the operation of our representative democracy, why don’t more people vote? Should voting be an obligation? If you do not vote, should there be a punishment such as a fine? Why or why not? Many groups of people in the past have fought hard to extend voting rights. What were some of those groups? Why did they want the right to vote? What has been the impact of extending the right to vote to these groups?

Register to Vote NOW!