Voting in Federal Elections: An Expository Essay - English 111

This essay discusses the importance of voting in a federal system, emphasizing that elections provide citizens the opportunity to choose their representatives and influence government decisions. It highlights Abraham Lincoln's view on the role of voters and argues that failing to vote allows others to make decisions on one's behalf. The essay also addresses the impact of elections on personal freedoms and the duty of citizens to participate in shaping their futures. It mentions the availability of absentee ballots for those unable to vote in person and stresses the importance of staying informed about changing election laws. Furthermore, it touches on the illegality of voter intimidation and harassment, underscoring the need for a fair and democratic voting process. The essay concludes that the voting system is central to representative democracy, enabling citizens to create a government that reflects their political will.

Running head: VOTING IN FEDERAL SYSTEM
Voting in Federal System
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Author’s Note:

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Introduction:
If people are not voting, they are putting the control of their world into the hands of
someone else, and moreover they do not have any idea where those hands have been. The
topic can be introduced with the fact that an election is stated to be an event where one or
more people have the opportunity in making a choice, like selecting their representatives.
According to Morone and Kersh, (2016) people are of the notion that election is unfair for the
fact that during presidential voting time as happens in federal election, people will be
funding political cartoons accompanied with comic strips expressing that their vote would
not be counted for, so there lays no point to vote when their candidate is not going to win.
This paper will discuss about the things people need to consider and look upon before
voting in federal elections.
“Voting should be made obligatory just like the jury duty for every eligible person to
participate”
Discussion:
During the time of his presidency, Abraham Lincoln did preach the significance of
the government being for, of and by the people. He did argue on the fact that voters play the
most imperative role in making certain the selected government reflects their aspiration and
functions as per the constitutional guidelines (Mickey, Levitisky & Way, 2017). It is
important for an individual in making an effort in every way possible to cast their vote in
state, local and federal elections, especially at the federal level, where the Head of the nation,
the President is being elected by the people of each state, through the Electoral College.
In the discussion part it can be stated that the federal election takes place once in
every two years and it is been administered by the local and state governments, even though

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the essentials of the ways elections are conducted differs among the states. So it becomes way
more important for people in exercising their dispensation to vote, because failing in doing
so would result in people fundamentally facilitating other voters in making decisions on
their behalf (Bulman-Pozen, 2017). This would lead to in letting their voices being heard over
the voters who do not make an effort in going to the polls. Thus it is important and one of the
primary reasons why people should decide to cast their vote in the elections.
The result of the elections can have a major impact on the personal freedom enjoyed
by the voters along with taxes and other regular life they generally take for granted. Elections
generally have a far reaching impact, people do have the duty of casting their vote if they
think of having a say in the way their futures would play out.
There are many within Canada and USA who possesses justifiable reason in not
making it to the polls, though they still have the opportunity of casting their vote through the
request for an absentee ballot. The ballet can be either mailed or they do have the prospect of
casting a vote of absentee in person at their local office for election. If they are not being able
to vote on the day of Election, they can still make certain that their voice is being heard and
they make proper use of their voting opportunity (Wiles, 2015). It is upto the voters in
deciding how they want to cast their vote and whether they at all want to do the same.
It might happen that federal election laws might alter at moment’s notice, so it
becomes significant for the people in keeping the information related to their voting updated
as much required. If they shift or want any alteration of their affiliation for the party, for
instance, they need to update the same information well before the subsequent election
happens (De Graauw, 2014).
It is stated to be illegal under the system of federal law for people to connive in
injuring, oppressing, threatening or intimidating an individual in getting that person to vote a

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meticulous way for the Vice President and the President. One thing that needs to be noted is a
poll worker who frightens an individual by asking for additional information than is
required legally for the purpose of voting. People have often been dispirited from their rights
of voting because of harassment- generally by the people who claim them to be poll
watchers and are overly belligerent, or with the indecent exploitation of the enforcement of
law personnel at the places of polling (Epstein, 2014). People are not supposed to be
beleaguered about the person to be voted when that individual is voting.
Conclusion:
The system of voting is stated to be at the heart of the representative democracy. It is
the tool that is been used by the citizens in creating a government of democratic nature. When
every vote of every citizen has equal value, parliaments can replicate the people’s political
will. It can be concluded that if the system of voting deforms what the voters have to say,
governments cannot be properly responsible and democracy is often negotiated.

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References:
Bulman-Pozen, J. (2017). Federalism All the Way up: State Standing and the New Process
Federalism. Cal. L. Rev., 105, 1739.
De Graauw, E. (2014). Municipal ID cards for undocumented immigrants: Local bureaucratic
membership in a federal system. Politics & Society, 42(3), 309-330.
Epstein, P. (2014). Addressing Minority Vote Dilution Through State Voting Rights Acts.
Mickey, R., Levitisky, S., & Way, L. A. (2017). Is America still safe for democracy: Why the
United States is in danger of backsliding. Foreign Aff., 96, 20.
Morone, J. A., & Kersh, R. (2016). By the people: Debating American government. Oxford
University Press.
Wiles, W. W. (2015). Federal Reserve System. System.