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8/8/2019 Low Voting Registration and Participation amongst Americans: Annotated Graphs
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Voter Participation 1
Running Head: Voter Registration and Participation
Exercise #3
Low Voting Registration and Participation amongst Americans: Annotated Graphs
Samuel R. Morris
SOWK 300
Tuskegee University
Friday, September 24, 2010
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Voter Participation 2
Abstract
“We hold these truths to be self -evident. That all men are created with natural,
unalienable rights.” These famous words are found at the beginning of the Declaration of
Independence – our founding document. Since the beginning of our country, we have always
been a nation who has been involved in the political system; however, that has not been the case
in recent years. In recent years, less people have been participating in both the Presidential and
Congressional elections, and this a major issue at hand. This paper will examine how many
people have been participating in the nationwide elections and look at the magnitude, scope,
changes and disparities of this problem.
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Voter Participation 3
Magnitude of the Problem – Figure 1
Descriptive Discussion of Figure 1
Figure 1 compares the percentages of registered voters and actual participating voters
from the Presidential Elections from 1996 to 2008. We are seeing that over 60% of Americans
registered to vote for the Presidential elections. The chart also shows that although we are seeing
that we have over 60% of Americans registered to vote, the actual people that do vote is smaller
than the registered number. In the 1998 Presidential election, 65.9% of Americans registered to
vote, but only 54.2% voted. Again in the 2004 Presidential election, 65.9% of Americans
registered, but 58.3% voted.
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Voter Participation 4
Interpretive Discussion of Figure 1
After looking at the statistics in Figure 1, I am seeing that the main problem lies within
the actual voting participation. Over 60% of Americans register to vote in the elections, and this
is an excellent thing; however, we are not seeing the same numbers in voter participation. I
strongly believe that the reason why we are seeing these numbers is lack of information. Voters
are not informed enough about each candidate‟s position. Also, they could not be aware of the
voting polls that are located within their area or may not have enough time to go out and cast
their vote. These factors can play a pivotal role in why we are seeing lower numbers of voter
participation.
Scope of the Problem – Figure 2
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Voter Participation 5
Descriptive Discussion of Figure 2
Figure 2 examines voter participation by region across the United States for the 1996
Presidential elections. The Midwest had the largest participation with 59.3%. The second
largest part of the country that had the biggest voter participation was the Northeast with 54.5%.
The South ranked third with 52% and the West with 51.8% of voter participation. This data is
very important because we are seeing that there is large number of voter participation in certain
parts of the country compared to others.
Interpretive Discussion of Figure 2
The data provided is very important in understanding why we are seeing a low voter
participation in the nation. Because the Midwest is showing the largest percentage of voter
participation, I can conclude that people living within this area are more active within the
political process. In addition, every time there is a Presidential election, usually the Midwest
decides who will win the election and it reflects in the data. Nevertheless, why are we seeing
large participation in one area of the country compared to others? I believe that we are seeing
this because people are more active and passion about the elections in certain areas than in
others. The Midwest is a huge portion of this country that contains some major industries of the
America. Because of this, people are more aware of how politics can influence the productivity
of the industry.
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Voter Participation 6
Changes in the Problem – Figure 3
Descriptive Discussion of Figure 3
Figure 3 shows the changes for voter participation. One must keep in mind that with
each election, voter participation will change. Figure three looks at the how voter participation
changes for Congressional elections. In 1994, there was a reported 44.6% of voter participation.
In 1998, there was a reported 41.9% and in 2002, 42.3% of Americans came out and voted.
Lastly, in 43.6% of Americans came out and voted in the 2006 Congressional elections. The
statistics is showing a major change with each election. From 1994 to 2002, there was a
decrease in voter participation, but it started to rise again in 2006.
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Voter Participation 7
Interpretive Discussion of Figure 3
Looking at the data above, one can see that it is very important to understand what is
happening. Over the years from 1994 to 2002, there is a decrease in voter participation in the
Congressional Elections. This also stands true for Presidential Elections. Why is this? I believe
that it is for two various reasons. As stated before in another graph, I believe that people are not
away of the available polling places in their respective surroundings. I also believe that people
are not informed enough about the different candidates, therefore, making them loose their
interest in casting a vote. The graph shows that there are shifts in voter participation and it is a
problem that needs to be addressed. By figuring out why people are not participating in voting,
will help raise the percentages across the nation – and that is very important.
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Voter Participation 8
Disparities in the Problem – Figure
4
Descriptive Discussion of Figure 4
Figure 4 examines the different ethnicities that participate in the election process –
especially in the 2006 elections. The first and largest ethnicity is White with 71.6% of
participants. Blacks, also referred to as African-Americans, reported 67.3% of voter
participation in the election. Asians reported 66.1% of voter participation. Lastly, Hispanics
reported 60.1% of voter participation. These numbers show that amongst all the ethnic groups
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Voter Participation 9
that comprise of the United States, Whites are the largest ethnic group participating in the
election process.
Interpretive Discussion of Figure 4
These numbers were a huge surprise to me when I first saw them; however, I expected to
view these results. Whites, the largest ethnicity group, have the privilege and the accessibility to
information that other people may not have. But why is this? African-Americans and other
ethnic groups are afraid of voting because they believe that their voice is not heard nor
represented in modern politics. In order to encourage more ethnically diverse groups to come
out and participate, politics must reflect who they are as a person. Moreover, we must educate
all Americans about the necessity and the importance of voting. Through education, we will see
more ethnic groups coming out to vote and be active within the political process.
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Voter Participation 10
Summary and Conclusion
Voting is a very big part of the fabric of American politics and the lack of voter
participation is a very big issue that needs to be addressed. There are several theories behind the
lack of voters‟ participation in the recent years. Some believe that due to the rise in a new
generation, many young people are less active in the political process. Moreover, the African
American community has also been less active. Some believe that the government does not
represent them or understand their basic human needs. Others argue that because of the lack of
“Black” representation on Capitol Hill, there is no need to actually go out and vote for the
different candidates who are running for office. Whatever the reason maybe, it is important to
find out why voter participation in elections is low.
The data showed some very interesting things. One interesting thing that the data showed
is that there is a big disproportion between registered voters and actual voters. When I first
looked at this problem, I thought that the reason behind low voter participation was due to the
lack of registered voters; however, that is not the case. We are seeing that people are registering
to vote for the National elections – both Presidential and Congressional. The problem lies with
the actual voting process. We need to find adequate ways in making sure that the number of
people registered to vote matches the actual number of people who do vote.
Another interesting conclusion that I found interesting from the data is the many
disparities amongst ethnic groups, education and employment. We need to make sure that every
American is knowledgeable about the important of participating in the voting process. One‟s
ethnic background, level of education nor status of employment should effect whether or not
they vote. By doing this, we will start to see similar numbers across the board. One must
remember that voting is a right of all Americans and not just some. It is our job as citizens to
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Voter Participation 11
hold our government accountable of their actions and the only way to do this is by participating
actively in the voting process.
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Voter Participation 12
References
Morris, S. (2010, September 22). Low Voting Registration and Participation amongst Americans.
Table 2. U.S. Census Bureau, Current Population Reports, P20-556, and earlier reports;
“Voting and Registration in the Election of November 2006” (published June 2008);www.census.gov/population/www/socdemo/voting.html
Table 2. U.S. Census Bureau, Current Population Reports, P20-556, and earlier reports;
“Voting and Registration in the Election of November 2008” (published May 2010);www.census.gov/population/www/socdemo/voting.html
Table 404. U.S. Census Bureau, Current Population Reports, P20-556, and earlier reports;
„„Voting and Registration in the Election of November 2004‟‟ (published 25 May 2005);http://www.census.gov/population/www/socdemo/voting.html
Table 406. U.S. Census Bureau, Current Population Reports, P20-557, and earlier reports;„„Voting and Registration in the Election of November 2008‟‟ (published 20 July 2009);
http://www.census.gov/population/www/socdemo/voting.html