| In an age where the voice of the people is heard in | | | | don't believe that their vote can make a difference; |
| ways that were unthinkable in previous generations, | | | | they don't believe that their vote even matters. In |
| an age where opinions, ideas, and thoughts can no | | | | fact they don't even believe that one person can |
| longer be constrained or held back, an age where an | | | | actually make a difference. Most of these people will |
| individual can express their voice against the collective | | | | have the mindset that nothing I do really makes any |
| majority, in this privileged age of self empowerment | | | | type of difference in the grand scheme of things. |
| there is still a large proportion of people that don't | | | | The 2000 United States Presidential election outcome |
| exercise this privilege of self empowerment. | | | | revolutionized the world as we knew it. In hind sight, |
| How does that happen? By simply not participating. | | | | everyone should've realized by now that every vote |
| For example, in the 2000 United States Presidential | | | | does matter. While most people reacted to the |
| elections, the International Institute for Democracy | | | | controversial outcome of the 2000 USA Presidential |
| and Electoral Assistance reports that only 49.3% of | | | | election by saying, "my vote could've really made a |
| the national eligible voters actually turned out to vote | | | | difference." many others went on to say, "I knew it, |
| in that election. | | | | my vote wouldn't have made a difference after all, |
| The United States is the self proclaimed leader of the | | | | and look what happened in the end". |
| free world, but even in a nation where freedom of | | | | As controversial as the 2000 Presidential election |
| speech is exercised to a level that makes citizens of | | | | was, it should have been the biggest wakeup call |
| other nations envious, a vast majority of people | | | | that we as a global community have ever |
| failed to turn out to participate in what is now | | | | experienced. It should have reminded us that yes, |
| considered one of the most historic and impactful | | | | we do have some control in the affairs of our |
| Presidential elections in the history of the world. | | | | society, and yes every person can and does make a |
| However, despite which democratic nation that | | | | difference. |
| comes to mind, odds are that majority of people still | | | | Simply stated, If the people who have chosen not to |
| don't vote. Voting in your country regardless of | | | | vote, can begin to understand just how powerful of |
| whether it is for a political election, policy reform, etc. | | | | a person they are, if they can begin to understand |
| is one of the single greatest empowerment tools | | | | that everything that they do, or don't do, even to |
| that a country can give to its citizens. | | | | the smallest detail impacts our society in a variety of |
| Therefore, the question must be asked, why is it | | | | ways, and makes an overall difference in the end. |
| that people don't vote? The answer to this question | | | | Then, and only then we will begin to see a shift in |
| is quite simple, people don't vote because they don't | | | | the number of people that turn out to participate in |
| understand what type of power they possess. They | | | | their country's voting process. |