The Importance of Making Your Voice Heard
Through the work of five amendments to the constitution and the Voting Rights Act of 1965, Americans have been fighting for the right to vote to be written into our laws. The 14th amendment gives all persons with U.S. citizenship rights and privileges, including the right to vote. The 19th amendment gave women the right to vote. The 24th amendment declared that there would be no poll tax, and the 26th amendment declared that citizens 18 or older are given the right to vote. Why is voting important? The people of the United States have a responsibility to make their voices heard. If only the same few people continue to vote, their opinions will be the only ones resulting in legislative change. The presidential election is not the only time to vote. Local elections "decide on the issues that can most directly affect you, including reproductive rights, public school control and discrimination laws," according to Daniel Marans and Kim Bellware at the Huffington Post. Smaller elec...