Voting has played a major part of America’s history dating back to well before the Constitution was even drafted. The idea that every individual has equal say in the management of their country, state and city is the foundation of the United States. Even businesses, clubs and organizations also commonly adopt the use of democracy in their operations. Voting is very important to keep things fair and is effective way to come to an agreement. Anyone who can vote definitely should. There’s almost no negative consequences to voting and informed voting keeps the country healthy. As the presidential elections draw closer and closer, it’s not uncommon for people to become very vocal about their opinions and might even tell you who they’re voting for. In fact, it’s not unreasonable to claim that more than half of adults in the United States at least have a good idea of what they believe and which candidate is better suited to hold office. But how many people will vote? Not nearly as many people vote as the level of noise generated by political chatter would suggest. Since 1948, less than 65 percent of eligible voters have voted in presidential elections. There’s almost no difference in percentage when including ineligible voters. When it comes to presidential elections, many argue that there is no reason to vote because the actual voting that decides who will be president is done by the electoral colleges that represent a state. It’s probably the best argument against voting, but that doesn’t account for the lack of voting in areas where the vote will actually count towards the issue. The voter turnout is far worse in local elections and issues. In Liberal, it’s a commonly known fact that very few people vote even in important issues like school board elections. In 2011 there was a pull to build a community center that was voted down. The decision to build a community center stemmed from the lack of activities for the youth and the students Liberal High School even took several days out of class throughout a two-year period to come up with an idea that would help the city. The students came up with the idea of the community center that was struck down 730 to 531 according to the Board of County Commissions. Less than 10% of the population decided on something that affected an entire city. It’s very possible that the community center could have become a reality had the voter turnout been much higher. When only a few people vote, the results are skewed. This is why scientists doing surveys will ask thousands of people the same the questions. Asking more people will provide more accuracy. In the case of politics it can mean the wrong person gets elected or it could mean a small group of people controlling an entire section of government. What about the pros of voting? What is in it for me? Voting is one of the only ways for the people’s voice to be heard. A single vote isn’t much, but it takes many single votes to get something done. A single vote could go to building a community center or it can stop the construction of an unnecessary building that the city can’t afford. Whatever way you look at it, there’s always a good reason to vote.