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Voter Apathy Must End Now

Click to see original imageSome disturbing trends of voter apathy. particularly among the younger citizens. have turned up in national polls. The 26th Amendment, ratified in 1971, lowered the age of voting eligibility from 21 to 18 – but apparently the young people haven’t been rushing to the polls with the anticipated gusto to exercise their franchise. Sen. Robert C. Byrd. DW. Va., Senate Majority Leader, has quoted two studies to indicate apathy by young adults a category that would include the 18-20 year olds. A recent Gallup Poll, he said. estimates that only 51 percent of those between 18 and 29 years old are ..e,x….,i 4.. …4- Anil q 56 percent of the citizens under 35 have registered. “A fourth of the adults under 35 say they have no intention of registering.” Byrd quoted the Post study as disclosing Possibly there are more up-to-date surveys, but one reported in a 1975 volume, ”Voters’ choice” by Gerald Pomper concluded that “assertions about the new and politicallyinvolved generation have not been borne out by the facts.” The report cited a 1972 study of age groups which showed the 18-24 category to be the least attracted to the polls. Lumping all voters regardless of age, Sen. Byrd mentioned these two riiehpm-t.s-ning items: million Americans cast ballots. while 100 million voting age citizens stayed home.” – The United States ranks low among the world’s leading democracies in terms of actual voter participation. All of which might indicate the turnout for the Nov. 4 general election well might continue a downward trend noticeable in the past several presidential elections barring a hoped-for resolve by the citizenry. In the presidential election of 1960. 62.8 percent of the registered voters cast ballots. For 1964, the percentage was 61.9; 1968, 60.0; 1972, 55.5; and 1906. 54.4. percent. As Sen. Byrd noted in much concern is being expressed these days about the influence of “special interest groups controlling Washington by the power of the purse.” The electrorate can exercise the control that belongs to the people only when they use their power at the ballot box. Extended erosion of public participation could threaten survival of the democracy itself. In other words, the United States can be truly a government of the people as long as its citizens carry out their responsibilities Everybody wants the republic to remain strong Thomas Jefferson had thi formula; “That government is thi qmmgest of which ever;