New voters share experiences.
Americans may call voting a right, a responsibility or civic duty, but no matter what it’s labeled, it is generally considered essential for democracy and a rite of passage for young Americans and new citizens. Like many of life’s firsts, voting for the first time may be a meaningful and affirming experience.
Assistant Professor of Teacher Education Terrence Harewood, who is from Barbados, will vote in the general election for the first time in November because he recently became a naturalized U.S. citizen. He shared that voting in this election will be meaningful for him.
“I was a bystander during the 2008 election. And as a person of color, I was on the edge of my seat on election night. And even though I felt an ownership, I didn’t actually cast a vote,” Harewood said. “So given that I will actually be casting a vote and playing a part in, hopefully, the reelection of Barack Obama, [that] is fulfilling to me personally.”
Sophomore history and political science major Ben Keller said that he was excited to vote in the primary election, but he feels that the general election is even more exciting and important because it has larger consequences.
“In the general election, you are choosing the leaders. These are the people who will be running the country for the next [few] years,” Keller said. “And choosing the right leader is a very, very important thing.”
Keller also believes in the importance of every eligible voter having his or her voice heard, so the country can be accurately represented.
“Voting is the most important part of our governmental system. Our entire [government] is based on who we choose,” Keller said. “If people don’t vote, we are not represented as a whole. We only get a narrow group of people [represented] and this could be the wrong fit for the country.”
Assistant Professor of History and Political Science Maryam Stevenson offered her perspective and the message the voting process sends to politicians.
“Voting is a necessary element of any democracy,” Stevenson said. “Voting is key for letting your voice be heard. It provides elected officials a sense of what the people want [and] whether they are satisfied with the status quo or seek change.”
Although voting generally may be thought of as a responsibility, some Americans choose to not exercise their right to vote, Stevenson said.
“Voter turnout rates are significantly lower in the U.S. than in other liberal democracies throughout the world. One of the reasons for this is that a number of people, particularly young voters, do not feel as though their vote is important,” she said. “Some make the argument that the electoral college system is biased, making the votes of citizens [in] those states more important. Others feel their policy preferences are not embodied in either of the two parties.”
However, Stevenson also noted that Americans are ultimately the ones who decide how they should be governed.
“Regardless, it is important to remember that in a democracy, elected officials operate only through the consent of the governed,” Stevenson said.
According to IN.gov, the state of Indiana website, in the 2008 general election, 62 percent of registered voters in Indiana showed up at the polls and an additional 24 percent voted via absentee ballot.
Harewood said he is glad to be among the group of Indiana residents voting in the president in the upcoming general election. He said that to him, voting is a responsibility and he is excited to exercise the right that he has been given as an American citizen.
“[Voting] is part of one’s responsibility, one’s civic duty to participate in democracy,” Harewood said. “Historically, when I think about how people have struggled to get the right to vote and the disenfranchisement that happened in this country, for them to have the right to exercise [their right to vote] and refuse to use it is, in a sense, mulching on society.”
Keller said he believes increased turnout at the polls really could be what is necessary to improve America.
“If everyone voted, this country would be a better place because everyone would be represented. I feel like the country should come together and say, ‘this is the person who will lead the country,’ or ‘this is the person who will lead the world,’” he said. “Now we are at a point where people have a chance to give their two cents, and they don’t. They feel like they don’t matter, but they do.”
