On May 5 the state of Michigan held a vote on Proposal 1, which was a complex tax plan designed to generate revenue to help repair the roads in the state.

Of the 7.2 million registered voters only 1.8 million showed up to vote, according to the unofficial election results.

But the 24.9 percent voter turnout was higher than the previous election in August, which only had an 18 percent turnout.

Voting is a right and because of that no one is forced to vote in any election; however, people should feel obligated to vote.

There are many reasons why people do not vote, such as the following:

• Not thinking their vote will count
• They do not have time to vote
• The registration requirements
• Apathy toward politics
• Long lines when waiting to vote
• Disagree with or does not like the candidates
• Unable to get to the polls

Mr. Andy Nester, political science teacher, said, “When rates are excessively low, it could be interpreted to be because the voting public has become lethargic, enabled, uninterested, and, in turn, uneducated about the need for larger numbers of voters to be active in order to have responsive representation.”

One of the most common questions that is asked when talking about voting is, “Why should I vote?”

Many people are not sure how to reply to this question; however, there are many reasons why people should vote.

These reasons include the following reasons:

• Voting is necessary for our government to function
• Voting provides a voice for the people
• It’s a right that everyone has
• It gives you the ability to complain to those in office
• Every vote counts

“Our nation has thrived since 1789.  It is the longest lasting Democracy, social contract, currently being practiced in the world,” Nester said. “If Americans clearly understand what it means to have Natural Rights and liberties protected by their government then they would also understand how fragile that is and how quickly they can be taken away when the people are not in charge of their government and its actions.”

The highest voter turnout in 66 years was in the 1960 presidential election when 72 percent of voters came out to vote for John F. Kennedy.

A person who does not vote does not have his or her voice being heard. This means that there is a small fraction of the population making the decisions for everyone. This small group of people is called a faction.

Factions worried the Founding Fathers, so when the Constitution was drafted and ratified, the United States became a federal republic. In a federal republic, citizens voted to elect officials who would vote on decisions that would affect everyone.

There are many things that we could be doing to help encourage people to vote.

These include the following:

• Have a positive attitude about voting
• Do not force it upon the person, if they are considering voting be courteous
• Give them the reasons to vote
• Try to understand why the person does not vote

Voting is a key role in America’s government, and without it, many of the things that Americans hold dear, individual rights and liberties, may be taken away.

“If Americans clearly understand what it means to have Natural Rights and liberties protected by their government,” Nester said, “then they would also understand how fragile that is and how quickly they can be taken away when the people are not in charge of their government and its actions.”