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Why Should I Vote?
Make your voice
heard ... Every Vote Counts!
The
Importance of Voting
Voting is one of
the most important rights and responsibilities that U.S. citizens
have. About 150 million American citizens are qualified to
vote. Unfortunately, many don't. They give up on a
chance to choose leaders and representatives who will do things that
are important to them.
Why
Vote?
Nobody can force
a citizen to vote. But many citizens do vote, because voting
lets them tell the government what they want it to do. If citizens
think they're paying too many taxes, they can vote for a person who
promises to lower taxes. If citizens want more services, they
can vote for someone who will promise to spend funds to gain more
services.
Every Vote
Counts
It's also
important for citizens to know how to work the voting machines or to
mark the ballots they'll be using when they vote, so that their
votes will be counted. Why is that so important? Because
every vote counts! An election might be decided by a single
vote and history would be changed because a person got...or
lost...that one vote!
Here are some
important events in U.S. history that were decided by just a few
votes:
-
Richard
Nixon, not John F. Kennedy, would have become President of the
U.S. in 1960 if one person from each voting place had voted
differently.
-
If just one
U.S. Senator had voted differently, U.S. President Andrew
Johnson would have been removed from office in 1867.
-
Texas might
not have become part of the United States in 1845 if one U.S.
Senator had voted differently. The vote in the U.S. Senate
was 27-25 to invite Texas to become a state. If it had
been a tie, Texas would not have been asked to become part of
the Union.
You
Can Make a Difference! Here's how...
-
Play a role
in choosing our leaders and changing our laws by voting.
-
If you're 18
or older, vote in every federal, state, and local election.
-
Learn about
the candidates and issues before you vote in any election.
-
Know what's
going on in your country and community.
-
Write
letters to public officials about issues that are important to
you.
-
Remind
everyone 18 and older to vote.
-
Respect your
right to vote! It's a privilege that many people in the
world don't have.
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