When American citizens turn 18, an age-old privilege and right is granted to them through voting, yet a minimal number of people actually participate.

Voting should not be taken as just a privilege but rather as a civic duty. In a country where becoming a registered voter is as easy as a click of a few buttons and voting can be done through mail-in ballots, the voter turn-out is minimal. The United States, ranks in the bottom percent of democratic countries who have voter participation.

For a country who was built on the principle idea of representation in government, it is very disappointing. Looking back on 17^th century America, colonists were outraged with the fact that England was making decisions regarding taxes for the colonies, while being an ocean apart and having no representation from this new land. This concept ended up sparking an entire revolution that created a new country based upon a democratic society.

In the years to follow, people of color as well as women fought hard for their suffrage. Yet today people live with the mentality that it is okay to discard the privilege to vote and throw it the curb.

The most disheartening fact is that people who weren’t born in the US but have since immigrated here and are granted voting rights through citizenship are more excited about the right than those who are born with it. This goes to prove the saying that people don’t know what they have until it’s gone.

While a person only has one vote and may not think that their voice will be heard, let it be pointed out that if everyone thought this way no one would vote and then it would be the same few select people making decisions for an entire group.

Even though this is an extreme outlook on voting it is a glimpse of the reality that could be if American citizens don’t realize the power that lies within their voice through getting out to vote.