Right To Vote In Electoral Elections

One of the greatest responsibilities and freedoms we have in the United States of America is the right to vote and pick our political officials. This responsibility should never be taken lightly or be wasted by not being responsible and reviewing what the leaders that we vote in power believe in or what they can do for communities and our country. By looking at local and federal election data, and other areas of research, we will see what voters in the Great Lakes states are thinking about when they cast their vote during an elections season. After being divided most of the 20th Century, we will see why voters have directed their loyalty to the Democratic Party but the most important question that we need to answer is what determines the …show more content…
According to our textbook, only seven third parties candidates in all of American history have carried even a single state in a presidential election. Ross Perot’s run as the reform Party Candidate for president in 1996, when he won just over 8 million votes. (Hershey, 2015) According to The New York Times, Ross Perot, a Texas billionaire, drew from both candidates was proof that a potential third-party candidate can affect the outcome of a presidential race. In fact, Perot finished the race in third place taking his share of the popular vote by drawing equally from both the Republican candidate and the Democratic candidate. The outcome with 83 percent of the precincts across the nation reporting, Ross Perot received 18 percent, Bill Clinton received 43 percent and George Bush received 38 percent. (New York Times, 1992) If there was not third party, would the Republicans probably would have pulled off a victory, since they were the party that has had a 12 year hold on the White House and in history third party candidates pull from republicans. In my view, having a third party candidate made a difference. Also during this time, there is an increase of voter participation among the African-American community. In an article titled, Family Transitions, Economic Status, and Voter Turnout Among African American Inner-City Women, by Eric Plutzer, he examines voter turnout of the inner-city African-American mothers, many are single parents and have many economic hardships. Interviews of 754 mothers living in Chicago, as part of a Woodlawn Community study showed that income and income change were primary factors that affected turnout. The study concluded, that single mothers have a lower rate of participation and given high rates of single parents in segregated inner city Chicago neighborhoods which effectively