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Civics Literacy Study & Resource Guide

  • Introduction
  • Civic Life, Politics, and Government
  • Foundations of American Political System
  • Constitution and American Democracy
  • Citizenship and Participation

Voting and Elections

Researching issues and candidates, other forms of civic participation.

  • Individuals & Events in U.S. History

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The Role of Citizens in American Democracy

U.s. constitution.

The U.S. Constitution includes amendments regarding citizenship and participation of citizens in politics. Some examples include:

  • Granted citizenship to “all persons born or naturalized in the United States." In addition, it forbids states from denying any person "life, liberty or property, without due process of law" or to "deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.” (From the  Library of Congress )
  • Granted African American men the right to vote by declaring that the "right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any state on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude." Although ratified on February 3, 1870, the promise of the 15th Amendment would not be fully realized for almost a century. Through the use of poll taxes, literacy tests and other means, Southern states were able to effectively disenfranchise African Americans. It would take the passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 before the majority of African Americans in the South were registered to vote. (From the  Library of Congress )
  • Passed by Congress June 4, 1919, and ratified on August 18, 1920, the 19th amendment guarantees all American women the right to vote. Achieving this milestone required a lengthy and difficult struggle; victory took decades of agitation and protest. Beginning in the mid-19th century, several generations of woman suffrage supporters lectured, wrote, marched, lobbied, and practiced civil disobedience to achieve what many Americans considered a radical change of the Constitution. ( From the  National Archives )
  • Passed by Congress March 23, 1971, and ratified July 1, 1971, the 26th amendment granted the right to vote to American citizens aged eighteen or older. (From the National Archives )

In the American Democracy, citizens are granted the right to vote for elected representatives in government positions. You can learn more about voting through the following resources:

  • Can I Vote (NASS) This nonpartisan website was created by state election officials to help eligible voters figure out how and where to go vote.
  • Fair Elections Center Fair Elections Center is a national, nonpartisan voting rights and election reform 501(c)(3) organization with the mission of using litigation and advocacy to remove barriers to registration and voting, particularly those disenfranchising underrepresented and marginalized communities, and to improve election administration.
  • Federal Voting Assistance Project Absentee voting assistance and verification for servicemembers & their families and overseas citizens. Plus, links to state/territory-specific election & legislative websites.
  • How To Vote How to Vote is your guide to everything you need to know to register and vote in your state. If you have a question about participating in elections, you’ll find the answer here.
  • Indiana State Voting Requirements Courtesy of Indiana Secretary of State Elections Division
  • State and Local Election Search (USA.gov) Locate your state’s election office website for state-wide voting guidance.
  • VoteRiders VoteRiders offers free assistance for any eligible voter who encounters barriers to securing his or her ID to vote, including financial and legal help obtaining underlying documents like birth certificates, change of name documentation, etc.
  • Voting & Elections Toolkits Voting and election reference guide for each state provided by GODORT.
  • Voting and Elections (USA.gov) Information on where to register, finding state and local elections, and voting and election laws.

Library Resources

  • CQ Researcher CQ Researcher explores a single, current issue in the news each week on topics ranging from social issues to environment, health, education, science and technology. Each 12,000-word report features comments from experts, lawmakers and citizens on all sides of the issue. Charts, graphs, a pro-con feature, chronology, bibliographies and a list of contacts complete each report. more... less... Forty-four reports are produced each year, with four expanded reports. Each 12,000-word report features comments from experts, lawmakers and citizens on all sides of the issue. Charts, graphs, a pro-con feature, chronology, bibliographies and a list of contacts complete each report.
  • News, Policy & Politics Magazine Archive (feat. Newsweek) This link opens in a new window An archival collection comprising the backfiles of 15 major magazines (including the Newsweek archive), spanning areas including current events, international relations, and public policy. These titles offer multiple perspectives on the contemporary contexts of the major events, trends, and interests in these fields throughout the twentieth century. The collection will provide valuable primary source content for researchers in fields ranging from history and political science, through to law and economics. more... less... Note: Due to the rarity of some of the original print volumes, there are small gaps (issues or pages) in the runs of some publications.
  • ProQuest Congressional Publications Provides access to historic and recent U.S. Government publications from 1789-1969 on including U.S. Congressional Serial Set documents, federal agency reports, congressional committee publications including reports on legislation, statistics, maps, and congressional debates. Coverage includes Congressional Record and predecessor publication debates from 1789-1997 and Executive branch agency publications not included in the U.S. Congressional Serial Set from 1789-1932.
  • Political Extremism & Radicalism This link opens in a new window Provides primary source material on far-right and fascist movements as well as radical left groups in one resource . Explores the origins and development of present-day issues, including the resurgence of right-wing politics, evolution of various civil rights movements and the nature of extreme or radical political thought.

Voter Guides

  • AARP Government & Elections Guide Includes news & analysis, political issues, and other information on government and elections.
  • I Side With... Offers quizzes to help match citizens with potential candidates based on their beliefs. Also includes information on popular issues, data, candidates, and more.
  • Voting Information Tool This website is an initiative of the Voting Information Project (VIP), a partnership between state election officials and Democracy Works to connect voters with the election information they need to cast a ballot. Launched in 2008, VIP works with state and local election officials to provide official and up-to-date election information.

Research Tools

  • Political Issues by Topic (Pew Research Center) Browse reports and articles by political issue. Provided by the Pew Research Center.
  • PolitiFact Truth-O-Meter PolitiFact's evaluates political information from transcripts, speeches, news stories, press releases, campaign brochures, TV, social media, and emailed requests. The evaluated content also includes a list of sources with every fact-check.
  • FactCheck.org A nonpartisan, nonprofit “consumer advocate” for voters that aims to reduce the level of deception and confusion in U.S. politics.
  • Washington Post Fact Checker The purpose of this website, and an accompanying column in the Sunday print edition of The Washington Post, is to “truth squad” the statements of political figures regarding issues of great importance, be they national, international or local (excerpt from website).
  • C-SPAN Video Archives The C-SPAN Archives contains over 270,000 hours of C-SPAN programming and are located in the Purdue Research Park next to Purdue University. The Archives represents a record of over thirty years of our nation’s political history. Details on the API can be found under the mycspan tab at the top of c-span.org for individuals who create an account. Use Chrome browser for best results.
  • Congressional Research Service (CRS) The Library of Congress' Congressional Research Service (CRS) presents unbiased reports on various public policy issues for members of Congress, their staff, and the American public.

Volunteerism

Form of civic action and commitment that demonstrates a willingness to make positive contributions to society. The following provides resources for how to get involved in Indiana and Tippecanoe County.

  • Indiana Volunteer Centers Directory of volunteer centers in Indiana by county.
  • Serve Indiana (IN.gov) Serve Indiana is a division of the Department of Workforce Development for the State of Indiana. The mission of Serve Indiana is to advance service and volunteerism by informing, connecting, and promoting opportunities and resources that enrich the lives of Hoosiers.
  • State Emergency Registry of Volunteers for Indiana SERV-IN is a statewide electronic registration system of medical and non-medical volunteers who want to assist our public health and healthcare system during an event or disaster.
  • Volunteer.gov America’s Natural and Cultural Resources Volunteer Portal was built and is maintained by the Federal Interagency Team on Volunteerism (FITV) that is comprised of volunteer program coordinators from three Cabinet level departments.
  • Volunteer Engagement Center (United Way) Browse local volunteer opportunities within the greater Lafayette area.
  • VolunteerMatch Database of virtual and on location volunteer opportunities. Searchable by cause areas, skills, keyword, and more.
  • Inspired to Serve: Report of the National Commission on Military, National, and Public Service 2020 report by congressionally authorized commission.

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  • Last Edited: Feb 22, 2024 10:59 AM
  • URL: https://guides.lib.purdue.edu/civicsliteracy

Why Voting Is Important

“Voting is your civic duty.” This is a pretty common sentiment, especially each November as Election Day approaches. But what does it really mean? And what does it mean for Americans in particular?

Social Studies, Civics, U.S. History

Americans Voting

Typically in the United States, national elections draw large numbers of voters compared to local elections.

Hill Street Studios

Typically in the United States, national elections draw large numbers of voters compared to local elections.

A History of Voting in the United States Today, most American citizens over the age of 18 are entitled to vote in federal and state elections , but voting was not always a default right for all Americans. The United States Constitution, as originally written, did not define specifically who could or could not vote—but it did establish how the new country would vote. Article 1 of the Constitution determined that members of the Senate and House of Representatives would both be elected directly by popular vote . The president, however, would be elected not by direct vote, but rather by the Electoral College . The Electoral College assigns a number of representative votes per state, typically based on the state’s population. This indirect election method was seen as a balance between the popular vote and using a state’s representatives in Congress to elect a president. Because the Constitution did not specifically say who could vote, this question was largely left to the states into the 1800s. In most cases, landowning white men were eligible to vote, while white women, black people, and other disadvantaged groups of the time were excluded from voting (known as disenfranchisement ).

While no longer explicitly excluded, voter suppression is a problem in many parts of the country. Some politicians try to win re election by making it harder for certain populations and demographics to vote. These politicians may use strategies such as reducing polling locations in predominantly African American or Lantinx neighborhoods, or only having polling stations open during business hours, when many disenfranchised populations are working and unable to take time off. It was not until the 15th Amendment was passed in 1869 that black men were allowed to vote. But even so, many would-be voters faced artificial hurdles like poll taxes , literacy tests, and other measures meant to discourage them from exercising their voting right. This would continue until the 24th Amendment in 1964, which eliminated the poll tax , and the Voting Rights Act of 1965, which ended Jim Crow laws. Women were denied the right to vote until 1920, when the long efforts of the women’s suffrage movement resulted in the 19th Amendment. With these amendments removing the previous barriers to voting (particularly sex and race), theoretically all American citizens over the age of 21 could vote by the mid 1960s. Later, in 1971, the American voting age was lowered to 18, building on the idea that if a person was old enough to serve their country in the military, they should be allowed to vote. With these constitutional amendments and legislation like the Voting Rights Act of 1965, the struggle for widespread voting rights evolved from the Founding Fathers’ era to the late 20th century. Why Your Vote Matters If you ever think that just one vote in a sea of millions cannot make much of a difference, consider some of the closest elections in U.S. history. In 2000, Al Gore narrowly lost the Electoral College vote to George W. Bush. The election came down to a recount in Florida, where Bush had won the popular vote by such a small margin that it triggered an automatic recount and a Supreme Court case ( Bush v. Gore ). In the end, Bush won Florida by 0.009 percent of the votes cast in the state, or 537 votes. Had 600 more pro-Gore voters gone to the polls in Florida that November, there may have been an entirely different president from 2000–2008. More recently, Donald Trump defeated Hillary Clinton in 2016 by securing a close Electoral College win. Although the election did not come down to a handful of votes in one state, Trump’s votes in the Electoral College decided a tight race. Clinton had won the national popular vote by nearly three million votes, but the concentration of Trump voters in key districts in “swing” states like Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, and Michigan helped seal enough electoral votes to win the presidency. Your vote may not directly elect the president, but if your vote joins enough others in your voting district or county, your vote undoubtedly matters when it comes to electoral results. Most states have a “winner take all” system where the popular vote winner gets the state’s electoral votes. There are also local and state elections to consider. While presidential or other national elections usually get a significant voter turnout, local elections are typically decided by a much smaller group of voters. A Portland State University study found that fewer than 15 percent of eligible voters were turning out to vote for mayors, council members, and other local offices. Low turnout means that important local issues are determined by a limited group of voters, making a single vote even more statistically meaningful. How You Can Make Your Voice Heard If you are not yet 18, or are not a U.S. citizen, you can still participate in the election process. You may not be able to walk into a voting booth, but there are things you can do to get involved:

  • Be informed! Read up on political issues (both local and national) and figure out where you stand.
  • Get out and talk to people. Even if you cannot vote, you can still voice opinions on social media, in your school or local newspaper, or other public forums. You never know who might be listening.
  • Volunteer. If you support a particular candidate, you can work on their campaign by participating in phone banks, doing door-to-door outreach, writing postcards, or volunteering at campaign headquarters. Your work can help get candidates elected, even if you are not able to vote yourself.

Participating in elections is one of the key freedoms of American life. Many people in countries around the world do not have the same freedom, nor did many Americans in centuries past. No matter what you believe or whom you support, it is important to exercise your rights.

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Related Resources

  • Accessibility Statement
  • Introduction, Awards, and Recognitions
  • Table of Contents with Critical Media Literacy Connections
  • Updates & Latest Additions
  • Learning Pathway: Racial Justice and Black Lives Matter
  • Learning Pathway: Influential Women and Women's History/Herstory
  • Learning Pathway: Student Rights in School and Society
  • Learning Pathway: Elections 2024, 2022, & 2020
  • Learning Pathway: Current Events
  • Learning Pathway: Critical Media Literacy
  • Teacher-Designed Learning Plans
  • Topic 1. The Philosophical Foundations of the United States Political System
  • 1.1. The Government of Ancient Athens
  • 1.2. The Government of the Roman Republic
  • 1.3. Enlightenment Thinkers and Democratic Government
  • 1.4. British Influences on American Government
  • 1.5. Native American Influences on U.S. Government
  • Topic 2. The Development of the United States Government
  • 2.1. The Revolutionary Era and the Declaration of Independence
  • 2.2. The Articles of Confederation
  • 2.3. The Constitutional Convention
  • 2.4. Debates between Federalists and Anti-Federalists
  • 2.5. Articles of the Constitution and the Bill of Rights
  • Topic 3. Institutions of United States Government
  • 3.1. Branches of the Government and the Separation of Powers
  • 3.2. Checks and Balances Between the Branches of Government
  • 3.3. The Roles of the Congress, the President, and the Courts
  • 3.4. Elections and Nominations
  • 3.5. The Role of Political Parties
  • Topic 4. The Rights and Responsibilities of Citizens
  • 4.1. Becoming a Citizen
  • 4.2. Rights and Responsibilities of Citizens and Non-Citizens
  • 4.3. Civic, Political, and Private Life
  • 4.4. Fundamental Principles and Values of American Political and Civic Life
  • 4.5. Voting and Citizen Participation in the Political Process
  • 4.6. Election Information
  • 4.7. Leadership and the Qualities of Political Leaders
  • 4.8. Cooperation Between Individuals and Elected Leaders
  • 4.9. Public Service as a Career
  • 4.10. Liberty in Conflict with Equality or Authority
  • 4.11. Political Courage and Those Who Affirmed or Denied Democratic Ideals
  • 4.12. The Role of Political Protest
  • 4.13. Public and Private Interest Groups, PACs, and Labor Unions
  • Topic 5. The Constitution, Amendments, and Supreme Court Decisions
  • 5.1. The Necessary and Proper Clause
  • 5.2. Amendments to the Constitution
  • 5.3. Constitutional Issues Related to the Civil War, Federal Power, and Individual Civil Rights
  • 5.4. Civil Rights and Equal Protection for Race, Gender, and Disability
  • 5.5. Marbury v. Madison and the Principle of Judicial Review
  • 5.6. Significant Supreme Court Decisions
  • Topic 6. The Structure of Massachusetts State and Local Government
  • 6.1. Functions of State and National Government
  • 6.2. United States and Massachusetts Constitutions
  • 6.3. Enumerated and Implied Powers
  • 6.4. Core Documents: The Protection of Individual Rights
  • 6.5. 10th Amendment to the Constitution
  • 6.6. Additional Provisions of the Massachusetts Constitution
  • 6.7. Responsibilities of Federal, State and Local Government
  • 6.8. Leadership Structure of the Massachusetts Government
  • 6.9. Tax-Supported Facilities and Services
  • 6.10. Components of Local Government
  • Topic 7. Freedom of the Press and News/Media Literacy
  • 7.1. Freedom of the Press
  • 7.2. Competing Information in a Free Press
  • 7.3. Writing the News: Different Formats and Their Functions
  • 7.4. Digital News and Social Media
  • 7.5. Evaluating Print and Online Media
  • 7.6. Analyzing Editorials, Editorial Cartoons, or Op-Ed Commentaries
  • Index of Terms
  • Translations

Voting and Citizen Participation in the Political Process

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essay on role of citizen in election

Standard 4.5: Voting and Citizen Participation in the Political Process

Describe how a democracy provides opportunities for citizens to participate in the political process through elections, political parties and interest groups. ( Massachusetts Curriculum Framework for History and Social Studies) [8.T4.5]

FOCUS QUESTION: How Have the Rights and Opportunities for Americans to Vote Changed Over Time?

Polling Place New York City 1912

Democracies depend on the active and informed involvement of their members, what Standard 4.5 calls “ citizen participation in the political process .” If only a limited number of people participate, then democracy gives way to a system of government where elites, powerful special interests, and unrepresentative coalitions make decisions for everyone else.

Voting is the most widely discussed form of citizen participation. What influences citizens to participate in the political process through voting?

The 519,682+ Elected Officials that Voters are Voting For in this Country

How many elected officials do people vote for in the United States? The number may surprise you.

Besides one President, 100 senators and 435 members of the House of Representatives, there are some 7000 state legislatures, 3000 counties, and 19,000 cities and towns, all with multiple elected offices from mayors, select boards , and judges to coroners, registers of deeds, mosquito-control boards, and in one Vermont town, dogcatcher.

Political scientist Jennifer L. Lawless (2012) puts the number of elected officials in the U.S at 519,682, although that number substantially undercounts all the other organizations that elect people from political parties to worker-owned companies and local co-opts.

Link here to explore the question of whether 16 or 17-year-olds should be allowed to vote in local, state, or national elections. For a national view, go to a Voting Age Status Report with interactive maps from the National Youth Rights Association (2023).

Information about the processes of Elections for Congress and President can be found in Topic 3.4 of this book.

Go to our wiki for more information about  citizen participation in voting .

Modules for this Standard Include:

  • SPECIAL TOPIC BOX: Minor v. Happersett (1875) Supreme Court Case
  • TEACHER-DESIGNED LEARNING PLAN: Voting From Ancient Athens to Modern America
  • UNCOVER: Voter Suppression and Barriers to Voting
  • MEDIA LITERACY CONNECTIONS: Digital Games for Civic Engagement

1. INVESTIGATE: Who Votes and Who Does Not Vote in the United States?

Elections in the United States are decided not only by who votes , but by who does not vote  and who is not allowed to vote . FairVote, an election advocacy organization, estimates only about 60% of eligible voters cast a ballot in a presidential election while as few as 30 to 40% vote in midterm elections. Turnout is generally even lower in local or off-year special elections ( Voter Turnout Rates, 1916-2018 , FairVote).  

Voting Sign 2016

In 2016, Donald Trump won the Presidency even though he lost the popular vote to Hillary Clinton by 2,864,974 votes (other candidates received 7,804,213 votes as well). These vote totals mean he was elected President by a little more than a quarter of the eligible voters. View the election results on this interactive map .

In many districts around the country, the number of non-voters actually exceeded the number of people who actually voted. Here is a map of the United States that shows non-voters in the 2016 election .  

Voter participation in the United States is lower than in many other countries around the world—Belgium, Sweden and Denmark all have voter turnout rates of 80% or higher. However, Switzerland however consistently has a very low voter turnout—in 2015, less than 39% of the Swiss voting-age population cast ballots for the federal legislature ( Pew Research Center, 2018 ).  

Those who vote in this country tend to have more education, higher income, are older in age, and are more likely to be married. Young people, ages 18 to 30, are the least likely group to vote with a rate of 44%. By contrast 62% of 31- to 60-year-olds and 72% of those 60 and older vote.

Other facts of note include:

  • Nearly 30% of the electorate is Black, Hispanic, Asian-American, or some other ethnic minority (quoted from David W. Blight, "On the Election," The New York Review of Books , November 5, 2020, p. 4)
  • Individuals with more education are more likely to vote than those with less education.
  • Nevertheless, Black Voters are credited with helping to deliver three key electoral college states to Joe Biden in the 2020 Presidential elections, accounting for 50% of all Democratic votes in Georgia (16 electoral votes); 20% of Democratic votes in Michigan (16 electoral votes); and 21% of Democratic votes in Pennsylvania (20 electoral votes), effectively making the difference between victory or defeat for Biden in those states ( Brookings , November 24, 2020).

Who Was Allowed and Not Allowed to Vote in U.S. History

Although there is no right to vote explicitly set forth in the Constitution, voting is the most commonly recognized form of citizen participation . Yet, since the first colonists arrived in North America, women, people of color, and even groups of men have struggled to gain the right to vote.

Before 1790, mainly only White male property owners 21-years-old and older could vote, although free men of color could vote in Connecticut, Delaware, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Rhode Island before 1790, and  New Jersey allowed some women to vote until 1807.

Voter participation expanded dramatically in the early 19th century when White men no longer had to hold property in order to vote. To learn more, go to The Expansion of Democracy during the Jacksonian Era .

Voting rights for African American males were established by the 15th Amendment in 1870 which declared "the right of citizens cannot be denied or abridged by the United States or by any state by race, color, or previous condition of servitude" ( Voting Rights for African Americans , Library of Congress). 

Native Americans gained the right to vote in 1924, although the final state to allow Indians to vote was New Mexico in 1962 ( Voting Rights for Native Americans , Library of Congress). The 26th Amendment established the right to vote for 18 to 21-year- olds in 1971.

Voting Rights for Women were established by the ratification of the 19th Amendment in 1920, but small numbers of women had been voting in some places for a long time. Women voted in New Jersey from 1797 to the early 1800s. They were granted the right to vote in the territories of Wyoming (1869) and Utah (1870).

  • The history of voting rights for women are explored at  Rightfully Hers: Woman Suffrage Before the 19th Amendment from the National Archives.
  • For a graphic view, see  "The Votes for Women Game " from The New York Times. 
  • For learning plans, go to  19 Ways to Teach the 19th Amendment .
  • Women's Suffrage in the U.S. by State Before the 19th Amendment

You can continue exploring the history of voting rights at the following wiki page: Voting Rights in Early 19th Century America .

You can go here for a visual timeline of the History of Voting in America from the Office of the Secretary of State of the state of Washington.

See also, Voting Rights: A Short History from the Carnegie Corporation of New York (2019).

Special Topic Box: Minor v. Happersett (1875) Supreme Court Case

During the 1872 Presidential election, Virginia Minor , an officer in the National Women’s Suffrage Association, challenged in court voting restrictions against women.  

Virginia Louise Minor Between 1850 and 1893

Virginia Louise Minor Between 1850 and 1893 Credit: Wikimedia Commons | Public Domain

The first part of Virginia Minor’s case was heard in the same courtroom in St. Louis, Missouri where the Dred Scott case was argued in 1847.  Minor v. Happersett (1875) eventually went to the Supreme Court that ruled the Constitution did not grant women the right to vote ( Virginia Minor and Women's Right to Vote ). Still, Virginia Minor’s activism added momentum to the suffrage movement. By the time of the passage of the 19th Amendment, women were already voting in 15 states ( Centuries of Citizenship: A Constitutional Timeline ).

Learn more at a  U.S. Voting Rights Timeline (Northern California Citizenship Project, 2004), a timeline of the History of Voting in America (Office of the Washington Secretary of State), and by visiting the resourcesforhistoryteachers wiki page about Voting Rights in Early 19th Century America

Proposed Voting Rights Legislation Since 2020

Two major major voting rights bills have been introduced in Congress following the 2020 Presidential election and the January 6, 2021 Insurrection at the Capitol: 1) The " For the People Ac t" and 2) The " John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act ."

The "For the People Act" protects the right to vote, ends partisan gerrymandering, reduces the influence of corporate money in elections, and establishes new ethics rules for elected officials.

The "John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act" restores the power of the Department of Justice to prevent states from restricting people's right to vote.

In congressional votes in 2021, both were unanimously supported by Democrats and unanimously opposed by Republicans.

Voting and the 2016 and 2020 Presidential Elections

Even given the long struggles to expand access to voting, a surprisingly low percentage of people actually participate in national elections. Just 55.7% of the voting-age population cast ballots in the 2016 Presidential Election  ( Pew Research Center, 2018 ) while 53% voted in the 2018 mid-term elections - the highest number in four decades (United States Census Bureau , April 23, 2019). Turnout is often lower in state, local, or primary elections. Since 1948, Massachusetts has varied between a high of 92% in 1960 (when John F. Kennedy ran for President) to a low of 51% in 2014 ( Voter Turnout Statistics ,  Massachusetts Secretary of State Office, 2020).

The 2020 Presidential election saw 66.5% of the voters casting a ballot , the highest percentage since 1900 ( NPR , November 25, 2020). Joe Biden became the first candidate running for President to win more than 80 million votes, the most votes ever cast for a Presidential candidate and 14 million more votes than Hillary Clinton received in 2016. Donald Trump received 11 million more votes than he did in winning the Presidency four years ago.

The Myth of Voter Fraud

Despite repeated claims by the defeated 2020 Presidential candidate Donald Trump and his supporters, voter fraud is "exceedingly rare" in United States elections (Brennan Center for Justice , January 6, 2021). The U.S. Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency declared the 2020 Presidential election the "most secure" in American history, adding there was "no evidence that any voting system deleted or lost votes, changed votes, or was in any way compromised" ( Joint Statement , November 12, 2020).

In legal terms, voter fraud is defined as votes cast illegally by an individual such as voting twice, impersonating another voter, or voting when or where one is not registered to vote. There is also a broader category known as election fraud where individuals or organizations seek to interfere with a free and fair election through systematic voter suppression or intimidation, such as buying votes, forging signatures, misinforming voters about polling places and times, deliberately not counting certain votes, or interfering with the collection and counting or mail-in and absentee ballots.

Election fraud also includes violations of campaign finance laws ( FindLaw , March 18, 2020). In 2018, Michael Cohen, Donald Trump's former lawyer, pled guilty to multiple counts of tax evasion and campaign finance violations involving unlawful campaign contributions. Donald Trump (known as "Individual 1") was an unindicted co-conspirator in the case ( United States Attorney's Office, Southern District of New York , August 21, 2018).

Women Voters and the Voting Gender Gap

Today, women are more likely to vote than men , part of a marked voting gender gap . The 1980 Presidential election was a milestone for women voters. It was the first election in which women and men cast the same share of votes. At the same time, only 47% of women voted for Republican winner Ronald Reagan compared to men, 55% of whom supported Reagan. It was the first observable gender gap in Presidential voting, and trend that has continued with women increasingly likely to vote for the Democratic presidential candidate ( Women Won the Right to Vote 100 Years Ago. They Didn't Start Voting Differently from Men Until 1980 , FiveThirtyEight , August 19, 2020).

Since 1980, women have continued to expand their participation in voting. In every presidential election before 1980, the proportion of men voting exceeded women; in every presidential election since 1980, the proportion of women voting for President has exceeded that of men ( Center for American Women and Politics, 2019 ).

Stated differently, in 2012 and 2016 presidential elections, women outvoted men by 10 million ballots, a number equaling all the votes cast in the state of Texas in 2016. As one commentator noted, "The United States of Women is larger than the United States of Men by a full Lone Star State" ( Thompson, 2020 , para. 2).

Why People Do Not Vote

Non-voters give different reasons for staying away on election day. According to a 2015 report from the  Public Policy Institute of California , the reasons why registered voters do not always vote include:

  • Lack of interest (36%)
  • Time/schedule constraints (32%)
  • Confidence in elections (10%)
  • Other (10%)
  • Process related (9%) 
  • Don't know (2%)

Just before the 2020 presidential election, FiveThirtyEight researchers found that non-voters tend to have lower incomes, are young, do not belong to a political party, and are predominantly Asian American or Latino. Among the major reasons given for not voting were missing the registration deadline, not being able to get off work or find where to go to vote, and feeling that the system is broken and their vote will not matter ( Why Many Americans Don't Vote , October 28, 2020).

But the FiveThirtyEight pollsters also found other reasons for not voting besides disinterest or alienation. Many people want vote but cannot. Some reported being unable to access a polling location because of a physical disability. Others said they did not receive an absentee ballot on time, were told their name was not on the registered voter list, did not have an accepted form of identification, or could not receive help filling out a ballot.

Do these reasons apply to people in Massachusetts? What other reasons might people have for not voting? 

Suggested Learning Activities

  • Interactive maps and cinematic visualizations of how Americans have voted in every election since 1840, Voting America , a website developed by the University of Richmond
  • How Many Voted in Your Congressional District in 2018? United States Census Bureau
  • Voter Turnout , MIT Election Data & Science Lab
  • What did you uncover about how and why people vote?
  • Design a proposal, podcast series , social media campaign, or PSA to encourage more people - especially more young people - to vote.
  • Is Voter Apathy or Lack of Voter Access the greatest barrier to people voting in this country?  
  • What evidence can you cite to support your opinion?
  • People voted for Trump in response to issues of race and religion. Studies show support for Trump strongly correlated with negative views and overt racial hatred toward Black and Muslim Americans as well as immigrants.
  • People voted for Trump in response to issues of economic and technological change. Studies show strong support for Trump in communities hard hit by declines of manufacturing jobs.
  • People voted for Trump in response to media coverage of the election.
  • People voted for Trump based on religious views. 84% of evangelicals voted for Trump as did 60% of White Catholics.

Online Resources for Women's Suffrage, Voting, and Not Voting

  • Virginia Minor and Women's Right to Vote , Gateway Arch, National Park Service 
  • Newspaper Coverage of Minor v. Happersett, April 3, 1875
  • The Legal Case of Minor v. Happersett , from the Women's History Museum
  • The Suffragist , Smithsonian lesson plan and media
  • State-by-State Voter Turnout Maps from FairVote for the 2018, 2016, 2014 and 2012 elections
  • Top Ten States with Highest Voter Turnout, ThoughtCo. (March 7, 2019)
  • Why Vote? Map-based learning activity from the Boston Public Library
  • LEARNING PLAN: The True History of Voting Rights , Teaching Tolerance

Teacher-Designed Learning Plan: Voting From Ancient Athens to Modern America

Voting from Ancient Athens to Modern America is a learning unit developed by Erich Leaper, 7th-grade teacher at Van Sickle Academy, Springfield Massachusetts, during the spring 2020 COVID-19 pandemic when schools went to all remote learning. The unit covers one week of instructional activities and remote learning for students.

It addresses the following Massachusetts Grade 7 and a Grade 8 curriculum standards as well as Advanced Placement (AP) Government and Politics unit.

  • Explain the democratic political concepts developed in ancient Greece: a) the "polis" or city state; b) civic participation and voting rights; c) legislative bodies; d) constitution writing; d) rule of law.
  • Describe how a democracy provides opportunities for citizens to participate in the political process through elections, political parties and interest groups.
  • 5.2: Voter Turnout

This activity can be adapted and used for in-person, fully online, and blended learning formats. 

2.UNCOVER : Voter Suppression and Barriers to Voting

Voter suppression has been defined as " an effort or activity designed to prevent people from voting by making voting impossible, dangerous or just very difficult" (quoted in The True History of Voting Rights , Teaching Tolerance ). Voter suppression and barriers to voting can legal and organized, illegal and organized, or illegal and unorganized.

Throughout U.S. history and even while constitutional amendments, court cases, and state and federal laws expanded the right to vote, Poll Taxes, Literacy Tests, and more recently, Voter Restriction Policies, including Voter Identification (ID) laws were used to limit voting by African Americans and other people of color in many states (Berman, 2015).

Carol Anderson (2019) has documented this history in her book, One Person, No Vote: How Voter Suppression is Destroying Our Democracy .

Link here to find out  Which states make it hardest to vote?

In this UNCOVER section, we look more closely at how secret ballots, poll taxes, literacy tests, and current day voter restriction laws have made it harder for many people to vote, in the past and today. 

Voting Booths for an American Election

Voting Booths for an American Election Public Domain Image from the George W. Bush Presidential Library

Secret Ballots

The modern-day image of a solitary citizen going behind a screen or curtain at a voting booth (like the one pictured below) to cast a secret ballot is not the way voting happened for much of United States history ( The Institute for Advanced Technology in the Humanities, 2020 ). 

In the 18th and 19th centuries, noted historian Jill Lepore ( 2008,   2018 ), voting was done in public, sometimes by voice, or by a show of hands, or by tossing beans or pebbles into a hat. Paper ballots were only used in some states - Kentucky had voice voting until 1891.

Paper ballots, noted Lepore, were known as "party tickets," printed by political parties ( Lepore, 2008, para. 3 ). Fraud and intimidation were rampant, especially in urban centers where political bosses dominated local politics. According to Lepore, "In San Francisco, party bosses handed out “quarter eagles,” coins worth $2.50. In Indiana, tens of thousands of men sold their suffrages for no more than a sandwich, a swig, and a fiver" ( para. 23 ). 

Reform came with the introduction of the Australian ballot or secret ballot . In 1856, the country of Australia began requiring the government to print ballots and local officials to provide voting booths where individuals could vote in private and in secret. The Australian ballot made its way first to England and then to the United States.

Massachusetts passed the nation's first statewide Australian ballot law in 1888. By 1896, "thirty-nine of forty-five states cast secret, government-printed ballots" ( Lepore, 2008, para. 27 ). At that time, 88% of the nation's voters voted. The numbers of people voting have been declining ever since.

Paradoxically, government printed ballots as part of secret balloting were harder to read "making it more difficult for immigrants, former slaves and the uneducated poor to vote" ( Lepore, 2008, para. 25 ). Many southern states embraced the reform, helping to limit Black men from voting.

essay on role of citizen in election

A Poll Tax  is a fee charged to anyone seeking to vote in an election. Poll taxes have been used as a way to keep people who could not afford to pay the tax, particularly African Americans in the South, from participating in local, state and national elections. Poll taxes were outlawed by the 24th Amendment in 1964 .

The Poll Tax in the United States, 1868-1966 Posted on Wikimedia Commons by SnowFire and licensed CC BY-SA 3.0

Learn more about poll taxes in United States history:

  • White Only: Jim Crow in America discusses ways African Americans were denied the vote
  • Edward M. Kennedy Poll Tax Amendment (1965) - Senator Kennedy unsuccessfully sought to extend the 24th Amendment to state and local elections.

Literacy Tests

In political settings, a literacy test is an exam used to assess a potential voter’s reading and writing skills as well as civic and historical knowledge. Officials made the questions so difficult that hardly anyone could pass.

Connecticut was the first state to require a literacy test; it was intended to keep Irish immigrants from voting. In the American South, literacy tests were used to prevent African Americans from registering to vote. 

The Voting Rights Act of 1965 ended the use of literacy tests ( Literacy Tests and the Right to Vote).

Modern Day Voter Restriction Policies

Although restrictions on voting by race or gender is no longer allowed by law, voter restriction policies are in place in many states that limit people’s access to voting.

New Hampshire Voting Place Sign 2013

New Hampshire Voting Place Sign, 2013 Posted on Wikimedia Commons by Mark Buckawicki | No Copyright

While voting bills are being debated in Congress, since the 2020 election (based in part on the "Big Lie" of voter fraud), about half the states (24 by June 2022) have passed 56 new laws changing the voting process in ways that make it harder to vote ( FiveThirtyEight , June 16, 2022). Voting restrictions include (but are not limited to) less time for individuals to register to vote, less time to apply for mail-in ballots, fewer drop box locations for mail-in ballots, fewer days and times for early voting, restrictions on polling place operations, tighter voter ID requirements, and stricter ballot verification procedures.

At the same time, other states have moved to expand voter access. In June 2022, the Massachusetts Legislature passed The VOTES Act which established permanent mail-in ballots by law, enabled electronic voting by overseas voters and military personnel, and allowed voters to request ballots in multiple languages. The law also requires the Secretary of State to send out mail-in ballot applications with return postage guaranteed to all registered voters 45 days before any state election.

Widely used voter restriction practices include Voter and Photo Identification (ID) Laws , cutbacks in early voting times and days, and reduced opportunities for people to register to vote.

Proponents claim these laws are needed to prevent voter fraud , although virtually no evidence of such fraud exists ( Voter Fraud?  Or Voter Suppression? ).

For a 2018 example of voter suppression practices, read the following news story:  After Stunning Democratic Win, North Dakota Republicans Suppressed the Native American Vote . A Federal Court found North Dakota’s voter identification laws were disproportionately burdensome to Native Americans.

In the aftermath of the 2020 Presidential election, representatives from both political parties began proposing state-level voting reform legislation, filling hundreds of bills in states throughout the country ("After Record Turnout, GOP Tries to Make It Harder to Vote," Boston Sunday Globe , January 31, 2021). Democrats sought to expand ballot access (such as allowing felons to vote or automatically registering voters at motor vehicle bureaus) while Republicans seek to limit voting (repealing no-excuse absentee ballots or restricting the mailing of absentee ballots to voters).

By May 2021, according to the Brennan Center for Justice, 404 voter restriction bills had been introduced in 48 states. In 11 of those states, including the battleground states of Georgia and Florida, Republican-dominated legislatures had passed a wave of voting laws, putting in place the following policies, many of which impact absentee voting and ballot drop boxes ( FiveThirtyEight , May 11, 2021 ):

  • Requiring proof of identity for absentee voting
  • Limiting the number of absentee ballots a person can deliver for non-family members
  • Requiring signature on absentee ballot match signature on voter registration card (Idaho)
  • Limiting absentee ballot requests to one election cycle
  • Restricting the locations of ballot drop ballots
  • Mandating ballot drop boxes be used only when an election staff member is present
  • Eliminating allowing people to register to vote on election day (Montana)
  • Banning giving food and water to people waiting in line to vote

Interested in learning more? Check out KQED Learn's "Is Voting Too Hard in the U.S.?" video (below) and discussion activity . 

essay on role of citizen in election

  • Can You Pass a Literacy Test? from PBS
  • 1965 Alabama Literacy Test  
  • Consider: Would you be eligible to vote based on your test score? 
  • In some states, individuals convicted of a crime can vote while in prison; in other states, a felon is barred from ever voting (Felony Voting Rights , National Conference of State Legislatures, October 2020).
  • Draft a proposal for a national policy on felony voting
  • Pros and Cons for Felony Voting
  • Do you support a Right to Vote Amendment to the Constitution ? Why or Why Not?
  • Leser v. Garnett (1922) - This decision by the Supreme Court reaffirmed the 19th Amendment that women had the right to vote.  Supreme Court Upholds Voting Rights for Women, February 27, 1922
  • Guinn v. United States (1915)
  • Baker v. Carr (1962)
  • Oregon v. Mitchell (1970 )
  • Crawford v. Marion County Election Board (2008)
  • Shelby County v. Holder (2013)
  • Evenwel v. Abbott (2016)
  • What Other Cases Would You Add?

Online Resources for Voting, Poll Taxes, Literacy Tests, and Voter Restriction Laws

  • BOOK: Making Young Voters: Converting Civic Attitudes into Civil Action . John B. Holbein & D. Sunshine Hillygus. Cambridge University Press, 2020.
  • BOOK: Blackballed: The Black Vote and US Democracy . Darryl Pinckney . New York Review Books, 2020.
  • Future Voters Project , Teaching Tolerance Magazine
  • Expansion of voting and women's suffrage after the Civil War
  • Voting Rights and Voter Suppression
  • Barriers to Voting , Pennsylvania Bar Association
  • Who Gets to Vote?   Washington State Legislature

3. ENGAGE: How Would You Get More People, Especially Young People, to Vote?

Getting more people, especially young people, to vote is a complex public policy and educational problem. There are many proposals and no easy solutions. For an overview, read To Build a Better Ballot: An Interactive Guide to Alternative Voting Systems .

Michelle Obama

Michelle Obama Co-Founded the Voter Participation Organization  "When We All Vote" in 2018  Credit:  Wikimedia Commons/ Public Domain

Many political scientists believe that across all racial and ethnic groups, people are more likely to vote when they think their vote matters in terms of who gets elected. In his book, The Turnout Gap , political scientist Bernard L Fraga (2018) notes that it is true that African American, Latino, and Asian American turnout consistently lags behind that of White Americans -- that is, what he calls the "turnout gap" (2018, p. 4). But in those small number of communities where increasingly numbers of African American, Latino, and Asian Americans now live, voters of color are shrinking or reversing the turnout gap. In Fraga's view, those voters now believe their votes will have an impact and they vote at higher rates than their peers in other places around the country..

How else might more people be persuaded or enabled to vote? The following section provides an overview of voting reform proposals. Which of these changes are you prepared to support and why?  

Expanded Vote by Mail (Vote at Home) and Universal Mail-In Voting

Mail-in voting (then called absentee voting) first began during the Civil War when both Union and Confederate soldiers could mail in their votes from battlefields and military encampments. Again, during World War II, soldiers were allowed to vote from where they were stationed overseas. States began allowing absentee voting for civilians who were away from home or seriously ill during the 1880s. California became the first state to permit no excuse absentee voting (voting by mail for any reason) during the 1980s ( Absentee Voting for Any Reason, MIT Election Data Science Lab).

The COVID-19 pandemic renewed calls for the United States to expand vote by mail options for American elections.  Presently, there are two ways to vote by mail:

1)  universal vote by mail  (also known as vote at home ) where the state mails ballots to all enrolled voters. In eight states (California, Colorado, Hawaii, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, Vermont and Washington), voters do not need to request a ballot, and instead automatically receive one in the mail. In Colorado, which has had its universal vote by mail system in place since 2014, fewer than 6 percent vote in person on election day; everyone else votes by mail.

2)  absentee balloting where those who are unable to vote in person on election day must request an absentee ballot. As for 2022, 27 states allow for no-excuse absentee voting while in other states voters must provide their reasons for doing so . Some states with absentee ballot rules have strict deadlines for getting a ballot and when a deadline is missed, the individual cannot vote.

  • In 2016, 33 million people (one-quarter of all votes) voted using one of these procedures. The 2020 election had 60 million people vote by mail, doubling previous totals and accounting for as much as 45 percent of the total voter turnout (Bazelon, 2020, p. 14, 18). 

Voting by mail does not give an advantage to either major political party nor does it increase chances for election fraud ( How Does Vote-By-Mail Work and Does It Increase Voter Fraud? Brookings, June 22, 2020). There is emerging evidence that mail-in voting does increase participation: 1) The vote at home states of Colorado, Oregon and Washington were among the top ten in states in voter turnout nationwide; 2) Utah, another vote at home state, had the most growth in voter turnout nationally since 2104; 3) Vote at home states outperformed other states by 15.5 percentage points in the 2018 primaries ( Nichols, 2018, para. 14 ). Researchers acknowledge that other factors beside voting by mail might have contributed to increased turnout in those states.

Expanded vote by mail proposals include no-excuse absentee voting and extending all-mail elections to every state so everyone receives a ballot in the mail which can be returned by mail or in-person at a voting center ( All-Mail Elections: aka Vote-by-Mail , National Conference of State Legislatures).

Read Voting by Mail? an excerpt from the book  Democracy in America? What Has Gone Wrong and What Can We Do About It by political scientists Benjamin I. Page and Martin Gilens (2020).

Vote

Compulsory Voting and Universal Civic Duty Voting

In Australia, Argentina, Belgium, Mexico and 18 other countries around the world, it is against the law not to vote. Non-voters face fines and other penalties ( 22 Countries Where Voting is Compulsory ).

Some observers believe that voting should be made compulsory in the United States to get more people involved in the democratic process. Other commentators focus on getting more people registered to vote as a way to increase voter turnout at election time. Presently, in every state except North Dakota, a person must be registered to vote in order to cast a ballot in an election. It is estimated that more than 20% of potentially eligible voters nationally are not registered to vote ( Pew Issue Brief, 2017 ).

Other commentators believe that instilling a ethos that voting is a civic duty is the way to promote greater participation in local, state and national elections. This is known as universal civic duty voting . While advocates of this idea may favor small fines for not voting, they recognize that it is a person's right not to vote if they so choose. The goal is to develop from young ages the disposition that voting is one of the duties or responsibilities that a person has in the democracy. For more, read Lift Every Voice: The Urgency of Universal Civic Study Voting , Brookings (July 20, 2020).

Ranked Choice Voting or Instant Runoff Voting (IRV)

Ranked Choice or Instant Runoff Voting is being adopted by communities around the country as well as the state of Maine - it is also discussed in Topic 3.4 in this book . The Committee for Ranked Choice Voting explains how it works:

Ranked choice voting gives you the power to rank candidates from your favorite to your least favorite. On Election Night, all the ballots are counted for voters’ first choices. If one candidate receives an outright majority, he or she wins. If no candidate receives a majority, the candidate with the fewest first choices is eliminated and voters who liked that candidate the best have their ballots instantly counted for their second choice. This process repeats and last-place candidates lose until one candidate reaches a majority and wins. Your vote counts for your second choice only if your first choice has been eliminated. ( para. 1 )

Make Election Day a National Holiday

This idea is simple, make Election Day a national holiday so people have the time to vote. Numerous countries around the world do so and they generate much higher voter turnout than the U.S. One concern is the loss of revenue for businesses, especially since Juneteenth was just added as a new holiday in 2021. One suggestion countering this problem would be to combine Veterans Day and Election Day in one holiday ( Make Election Day a National Holiday , Brookings , June 23, 2021). No new holiday is then added and voting is further highlighted as everyone's civic duty.

Expanded Early Voting 

Early voting means that people can vote on specified days and times before an actual election day, making it possible to fit voting into busy schedules while avoiding long lines and delays at the polls. State laws governing early voting vary across the country; includes a state-by-state early voting time chart.

Automatic Voter Registration (AVR)

As of 2020, in 16 states and the District of Columbia, a person is automatically registered to vote when registering for a driver’s license (known as Motor Voter Registration) or interacting with some other government agency—unless that person formally opts-out.  Voter Rolls are Growing Owing to Automatic Voter Registration , NPR (April 11, 2019).

Letting Students Miss School to Vote 

Under a law passed in Illinois in 2020 that was initiated by the efforts of high school student activists, students may be excused from classes for up to 2 hours on election day or any day that early voting is offered to vote in general, primary, or special elections. Text of Public Act 101-0624 .

Lower the Voting Age to 16 or 17

Lowering the Voting age follows from the fact that in most states, 16 year-olds can get married, drive, pay income tax, get a passport, leave school, work full time, and join a union, among other activities ( Teenagers are Changing the World. They Should Be Allowed to Vote ). In one third of the states, 17-year-olds can register to vote if they turn 18 by election day. There is more information at The Case for Allowing 16-year-olds to Vote .

Same Day Voter Registration (SDR)

As of May 2021, twenty states and the District of Columbia allow same-day registration (SDR). Under SDR, a person can be automatically registered to vote when they arrive at the polls on election day. In states without SDR, voters must register to vote, often well before Election Day. University of Massachusetts Amherst researcher Jesse Rhodes and colleague Laura Williamson found that SDR boosted Black and Latinx voter turnout between 2 and 17 percentage points as compared to similar states that do not permit same day voter registration.

Additional Proposals

More ideas include online voter registration, text alerts reminders to vote, registering young voters at rock concerts and other youth-related events, and extending voting rights for ex-prisoners.

Statements by celebrities may influence people to vote. 35,000 people registered to vote on 2023 National Voter Registration Day after Taylor Swift encouraged them to do so in a post on her Instagram Stories.

Some observers believe becoming a voter begins at school. Democracy Prep School is one example:

Democracy Prep Public Schools

The founders of the Democracy Prep public school network believe they have a successful model for increasing civic participation, including voting, by students. Democracy Prep serves students in New York City, Camden, New Jersey, Baton Rouge, Las Vegas and San Antonio. Students are admitted to these schools by randomized lotteries which allow for statistical comparisons between student groups. One study found "Democracy Prep increases the voter registration rates of its students by about 16 percentage points and increases the voting rates of its students by about 12 percentage points" ( Gill, et al., 2018, para. 1 ).

The National Education Policy Center urges caution in interpreting these results. Students chose to apply to Democracy Prep so they may have been inclined toward civic participation before attending. The school had abundant resources from federal grants to develop a strong curriculum.

Still, it is important to ask: How Democracy Prep did promote civic participation and voting among its students? Students were encouraged to “feel an obligation to be true and authentic citizens of a community” ( DemocracyPrep, 2020, para. 3 ). As part of their education, students get to visit with legislators, attend public meetings, testify before legislative bodies, discuss essays on civics and government, participate in “Get Out the Vote” campaigns, and develop a senior level “Change the World” capstone project.

How many of those actions are happening or could happen at your school?

  • Propose a Change in Your School or Your Classroom
  • What changes in school curriculum and activities do you believe would increase civic participation and voting by young people?
  • Assess and then rank the voting reform proposals in this section according to your first to last priorities, explaining your reasons why.
  • What other voting reform proposals would you propose?
  • Read "Could College Make Voting as Popular as Going to Football Games?"
  • Then, make 3 posters for a local college campuse to increase college student voter turnout.
  • About 1 in 6 -- more than 35 million -- eligible voters have a disability, a third of whom report difficulties in be able to vote
  • Commonly cited barriers include seeing and writing ballots, using voting equipment, traveling to voting locations, getting inside polling places and more.
  • Design ways to address these and other potential barriers facing voters with disabilities

Media Literacy Connections: Digital Games for Civic Engagement

Online gaming is now everywhere, with mixed and virtual reality experiences emerging as the newest innovation in the gaming industry. But  can game play influence young people to become voters and actively-engaged democratic citizens?  

Image of the Sorry board game but at the end of each route it says "the polls" and the example card says "uh oh! one of your opponents sent in an absentee ballot, but they missed the deadline. Choose an opponent to send back to home"

Sorry not Sorry: How to Vote by Caroline Gabriel, Ruihan Luo, & Sara Shea is licensed under CC BY NC SA 4.0

Many educators and game designers believe so and are developing serious games to promote civic awareness and participation. 

In these activities, you will evaluate a currently available, politically themed online digital games, then design your own game about voting and politics.

  • Activity 1: Evaluate a Politically Themed Digital Game
  • Activity 2: Design Your Own Game about Voting and Politics

Standard 4.5 Conclusion

Voting offers citizens the opportunity to participate directly in democratic decision-making, yet voter turnout in the United States is low with only about 60% of eligible voters casting a ballot in presidential elections, 40% in midterm elections, and often even lower percentages in local elections. INVESTIGATE looked at whether voter apathy or lack of voter access impacts who votes and who does not. UNCOVER examined how poll taxes, literacy tests, and more recently, voter restriction laws, have limited voting by African Americans and members of other diverse groups in American society. ENGAGE asked what steps can be taken to get more people, especially younger people, to vote?

This content is provided to you freely by EdTech Books.

Access it online or download it at https://edtechbooks.org/democracy/participation .

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4.2: Rights and Responsibilities of Citizens and Non-Citizens

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Standard 4.2: Rights and Responsibilities of Citizens and Non-Citizens

Describe the rights and responsibilities of citizens as compared to non-citizens. (Massachusetts Curriculum Framework for History and Social Studies) [8.T4.2]

FOCUS QUESTION: What are the rights and responsibilities of United States citizens and non-citizens?

Information from the Department of Homeland Security (public domain):

The Bill of Rights (the Constitution's first 10 amendments) set forth the rights (protections under the law) of Americans. But those rights come with responsibilities (obligations that citizens are expected to perform), such as paying taxes, serving on a jury when called, defending the country, and participating in the democratic process. Exercising one's rights and fulfilling one's responsibilities are the features of active and engaged citizenship in this country.

Non-citizens also have rights and responsibilities as members of American society, but their situations are complicated by legal rules and political pressures.

What are the rights of citizens and non-citizens? The modules for this standard explore that question by outlining specific rights and responsibilities, examining the internment of Japanese Americans during World War II, and considering whether Fred Korematsu or other individuals who fought for civil rights and civil liberties should have a national day of recognition.

Modules for this Standard Include:

  • MEDIA LITERACY CONNECTIONS: Portrayals of Immigrants in Television and Film
  • UNCOVER: The Internment of Japanese Americans during World War II
  • ENGAGE: Should Individuals Who Fought for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties Have a National Day of Recognition?

4.2.1 INVESTIGATE: The Rights of Citizens and of Non-Citizens

93% of the people living in the United States are citizens; 7% are non-citizens ( Kaiser Family Foundation, 2020 ). One recent estimate puts the number of non-citizens at 22.6 million ( CAP Immigration Team & Nicolson, 2017 ).

The rights of individuals under the Constitution apply to citizens and non-citizens alike.

Timeline of rights incorporated by the Supreme Court: protection against taking private property without fair compensation in 1897 (Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad v. City of Chicago), freedom of speech in 1925 (Gitlow v. New York), freedom of press in 1931 (Near v. Minnesota), freedom of assembly in 1937 (DeJonge v. Oregon), freedom to exercise religion in 1940 (Cantwell v. Connecticut), protection against unreasonable search and seizure in 1961 (Mapp v. Ohio), right to assistance of council in 1963 (Gideon v. Wainwright), right to keep and bear arms in 2010 (McDonald v. Chicago).

Non-citizens, no matter what their immigration status, generally have the same rights as citizens when law enforcement officers stop, question, arrest, or search them or their homes. Since the Constitution uses the term "people" or "person" rather than "citizen," many of the "basic rights, such as the freedom of religion and speech, the right to due process and equal protection under the law apply to citizens and noncitizens. How those rights play out in practice is more complex" ( Frazee, 2018, para. 6-7 ). Learn more: Citizenship Rights and Responsibilities & Constitutional Rights of Non-Citizens .

Media Literacy Connections: Portrayals of Immigrant in Television and Film

Portrayals of immigrants and the immigrant experience are frequent themes in television and film.

A portrayal is how an individual or group is presented in media, but such representations may or may not be factually accurate. Sometimes these representations offer an idealized view of the immigrant experience. While the Statue of Liberty portrays a nation welcoming newcomers, the reality is that the United States was and is not a land of opportunity for many who come here.

In other instances, immigrants may be presented in harmfully stereotypical terms, often as criminals or threats. In the report Change the Narrative, Change the World: How Immigrant Representation on Television Moves Audiences to Action, researchers from the University of Southern California found viewers who saw programs with more inclusive immigration storylines had more welcoming, supportive attitudes toward immigrants than those who did not.

In these activities, you will explore whether current portrayals and representations of immigrants in television and film media are accurate or stereotypical, and while so doing, consider: "What does media representation of immigrants mean to immigrants?"

  • Activity 1: Write a Letter of Praise or Protest (Persuasive Writing)
  • Activity 2: Evaluate the Representation of Immigrants in the Movies

Suggested Learning Activities

  • Legal Rights of Undocumented Immigrants , KQED Learning
  • Know Your Rights: A Guide to the U.S. Constitution , Office of the U.S. Attorney, District of Minnesota
  • Know Your Rights When Encountering Law Enforcement, American Civil Liberties Union

\(^*\)This activity is designed to demonstrate that the rights guaranteed to all Americans as citizens are not universal for all people (even legal immigrants to the country). It ask students to think critically and creatively about what rights all people should have. It is based on a learning plan developed by University of Massachusetts Amherst teaching interns Conor Morrissey and Connor Frechette-McCall in Fall 2019.

Online Resources for the Rights of Citizens and Non-Citizens

  • LEARNING PLAN: When Some Students are Undocumented, and Some Are Not: Teaching Civics in Mixed-Citizenship Classrooms , Social Education (November/December 2020).
  • Becoming American: Exploring Names and Identities , Facing History and Ourselves
  • Rights of Non-Citizens under the Equal Protection Clause , from Exploring Constitutional Conflicts
  • The Supreme Court has incorporated the numerous rights from the Bill of Rights against actions by the government.

4.2.2 UNCOVER: Internment of Japanese Americans during World War II

Following the December 7, 1941 Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, President Franklin D. Roosevelt issued Executive Order 9066 , which mandated moving 120,000 Japanese-Americans from their homes to one of 10 internment camps in the western part of the United States. Most of the people relocated were U.S. citizens or legal permanent resident aliens.

1943 black-and-white photograph of Japanese Americans working on a farm at Manzanar Relocation Center. Photograph by Ansel Adams.

The internment camps , officially called "relocation centers," were located in California, Idaho, Utah, Arizona, Wyoming, Colorado, and Arkansas. Over 50% of those interned were children. To learn about the camps, view Building History 3.0: An Interactive Explorations of the Japanese American Incarceration in Minecraft .

Constitutional safeguards given to United States citizens were ignored or bypassed in the name of national defense. People were detained for up to four years, without due process of law or any factual basis, and forced to live in remote camps behind barbed wire and under the surveillance of armed guards.

Video \(\PageIndex{1}\): "Japanese Relocation", a short film released by the U.S. government in 1942 to explain the internment of Japanese and Japanese Americans.

Actor George Takei, of Star Trek, and his family were imprisoned in Rowher, Arkansas, as documented in his autobiography To The Stars (1995). Takei and three co-writers have since collaborated on They Called Us Enemy , a graphic memoir about his experiences in the camp (2019).

In 1944, two years after signing Executive Order 9066, President Roosevelt revoked the order. The last internment camp was closed by the end of 1945. There was no official apology from the United States government until passage of The Civil Liberties Act of 1988 . In 1991, President George H. W. Bush wrote a letter of apology to each surviving internment camp member, who also received a $20,000 check from the government ( Letter from President George Bush to Japanese Internees ).

Largely forgotten today were the experiences of Japanese-American soldiers who fought for the United States in western Europe. Many of these soldiers were Nisei (American-born children of Japanese immigrants), and former members of the Hawaii National Guard. They experienced the contradiction of fighting to liberate Europe and close down German concentration camps while other Japanese-Americans were interned in camps at home. Learn more about the hidden history of Japanese-American Soldiers in World War II from the website Re-Imagining Migration.

A group of Japanese-American infantrymen make their way up a muddy country road.

  • Japanese Relocation is a short video from the US government explaining the decision to create internment camps
  • The Internment Diary of Toyojiro Suzuki from the State Historical Society of North Dakota.
  • A collection of Ansel Adams' photographs showing life in a Japanese Internment camp.
  • Japanese-American woman who was forced into an internment camp at 16 recalls time in custody
  • Brief Overview of the World War II Enemy Alien Control Program
  • Children of the Camps is a PBS documentary (and accompanying website) about the experiences of six Japanese-Americans who were detained as children.
  • Densho: The Japanese American Legacy Project offers multimedia materials including a slideshow and videos as well as oral histories from Japanese Americans who were imprisoned during World War II.
  • As a model for this activity, see Righting a Wrong: Japanese Americans and World War II Poster Exhibition from the Smithsonian.
  • Find more information on a wiki page for Japanese Internment in World War II
  • Split the class into two groups and have one group research reasons for the use of internment camps and the other group research issues and unfair treatment that resulted from the camps.
  • Share findings and discuss whether or not the internment camps should have been used after hearing both sides.
  • What alternatives could the U.S. government have used instead of internment camps?
  • Should constitutional safeguards given to United States citizens be ignored or bypassed in the name of national defense?

Online Resources for Japanese Internment

  • Lesson plan on Japanese Internment from Library of Congress
  • Lesson Plans from the Mananzar National Historic Site focus on the experiences at one of the primary internment camps.
  • A More Perfect Union: Japanese Americans & the U.S. Constitution from the Smithsonian Museum of American History that uses images, music and text to explore the experience of citizens placed in detention camps during World War II.
  • Hirabayashi v. United States (1943)
  • Korematsu v. United States (1944)

4.3.3 ENGAGE: Should Individuals Who Fought for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties Have a National Day of Recognition?

In 1942, a 23-year-old Japanese American named Fred Korematsu refused an order to move to one of the government's wartime internment camps. He was arrested, convicted, and jailed for his actions. Along with two other resistors, he appealed his case to the Supreme Court which upheld his conviction. That conviction was eventually overturned in 1983.

Black-and-white photograph of Gordon Hirabayashi, Minoru Yasui, and Fred Korematsu, from left to right.

To honor his fight for civil rights and civil liberties, Fred Koresmatsu Day was enacted in California in 2010. It was the first state-wide day in the United States to be named after an Asian American. Hawaii, Virginia, and Florida have since passed laws honoring Fred Korematsu to perpetuity. Learn more at It's Fred Korematsu Day: Celebrating a Foe of U.S. Internment Camps , and Honoring a Japanese-American Who Fought Against Internment Camps .

Deciding to honor someone for their historical efforts has large political implications in the United States today. Despite its racist history, there are states and communities that continue to celebrate the Confederacy and Confederate war heroes with days of recognition ( Southern Poverty Law Center, 2019 ). At the same time, there are individuals and groups who fought for civil rights and civil liberties but who remain neglected or omitted from history books and state-level history curriculum frameworks.

Students can be effective advocates for honoring those who fought for civil rights and civil liberties . In the early 1980s, students from Oakland Tech High School class of 1981 - " The Apollos " - engaged in a four-year campaign to get the state of California to establish a day honoring Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Their efforts were successful when California became the fourth state to have a MLK Day (the national holiday was established in 1986). In 2109, students at the school wrote and performed a play about the efforts of the Apollos ( California High School Students Who Lobbied for State MLK Holiday Honored in Oakland Tech Play ).

Who would you nominate for a State or National Day of Recognition for efforts to achieve civil rights and civil liberties?

  • Why has the U.S. failed to fully recognize individuals like Fred Koresmatsu who stood up for American ideals?
  • Select an individual and write a persuasive essay (or design a video) to send to a local or national elected official.
  • For example, on August 14, 2021, Navajo Code Talkers Day became a legal state holiday in Arizona.
  • Kinfolk , an app by Movers & Shakers NYC, features augmented reality monuments of famous Black historical figures with narrated text, artifacts, images, biographical information, and other materials.
  • Navajo and Tlingit Code Talkers
  • Benjamin Banneker, African American Author, Surveyor, and Scientis t
  • Langston Hughes, Activist and Journalist
  • Marian Anderson, Singer and Civil Rights Activist
  • A. Philip Randolph, Black Labor Activist
  • The Black Cabinet was a group of 45 African Americans who held positions in cabinet offices or New Deal agencies. Learn more at the National Women's History Museum website: Mary McLeod Bethune - Overview and Background (1875-1955) .
  • There is more information at Bessie Coleman from The History Chicks podcast site and a historical biography page on the resourcesforhistoryteachers wiki: Bessie Coleman, African American Aviator and Civil Rights Pioneer .

Standard 4.2 Conclusion

In the United States, every citizen has rights and responsibilities as a member of a democratic society. Non-citizens have rights too, although they differ from those of citizens. INVESTIGATE explored the specific rights of citizens and non-citizens. UNCOVER focused on the suspension of citizenship rights during the internment of Japanese Americans during World War II. ENGAGE asked whether days of recognition should be given to Fred Korematsu or other women and men who fought to establish and preserve civil rights and civil liberties throughout American history.

Read our research on: Immigration & Migration | Podcasts | Election 2024

Regions & Countries

Most americans say it’s very important to vote to be a good member of society.

A poll worker hangs signs outside a polling station ahead of the U.S. midterm elections in Los Angeles on Nov. 1, 2022.

Around seven-in-ten U.S. adults (69%) say it’s very important to vote in elections to be a good member of society – more than say the same about any of the other activities included in a Pew Research Center survey conducted earlier this year.

A bar chart showing that about seven-in-ten Americans see voting as very important to being a good member of society

By comparison, fewer than half of Americans say it’s very important to get a COVID-19 vaccine (44%), to make choices that help reduce the effects of global climate change (42%), or to follow what’s happening in politics in their own country (37%) to be a good member of society. Fewer – around two-in-ten – say it’s very important to follow current events in other countries (22%) or attend religious services frequently (22%). And only 13% say it’s very important to join demonstrations about issues they think are important to be a good member of society.

This Pew Research Center analysis focuses on U.S. public opinion about what it means to be a good member of society. It is based on a survey of 3,581 U.S. adults conducted from March 21 to 27, 2022. Everyone who took part is a member of the Center’s American Trends Panel (ATP), an online survey panel that is recruited through national, random sampling of residential addresses. This way nearly all adults have a chance of selection. The survey is weighted to be representative of the U.S. adult population by gender, race, ethnicity, partisan affiliation, education and other categories. Read more about the ATP’s methodology . Here is the question used in this analysis, along with responses.

The comparison of responses by 2020 voter turnout relies on a measure of validated turnout among citizens who are currently at least 20 years old. Validated voters are citizens who told us that they voted in the 2020 general election and have a record for voting in that election in a commercial voter file. In an effort to accurately locate official voting records, up to three commercial voter files were searched for each panelist. The number of commercial files consulted varies by when a panelist was recruited to the ATP. Three files were used for panelists recruited in 2020 or before, while two were used for panelists recruited in 2021. Here are additional details about the voter validation process .  

A chart showing that Republicans and Democrats differ over whether several activities are very important civic duties

Although Republicans and Democrats differ in some views of election rules and procedures , there are no partisan differences in the perceived importance of voting. Around seven-in-ten Democrats and independents who lean toward the Democratic Party (73%) and a similar share of Republicans and GOP leaners (70%) say voting is very important to being a good member of society. Past Pew Research Center surveys have found a similar pattern .

Republicans and Democrats also don’t differ when it comes to the importance of following what is happening in U.S. politics. Around four-in-ten in each party (37% of Republicans and 40% of Democrats) say it’s very important to follow politics to be a good member of society.

When it comes to the importance of following current events in other countries, Democrats are somewhat more likely than Republicans (26% vs. 18%) to say it’s very important. Democrats are also more likely than Republicans to say joining demonstrations is very important (17% vs. 8%), while Republicans are more likely than Democrats to say attending religious services regularly is very important (30% vs. 15%).  

Partisan divides are widest when it comes to the perceived importance of getting a COVID-19 vaccine and making choices to reduce the effects of climate change. In both cases, Democrats are more than 40 percentage points more likely than Republicans to see it as very important to being a good member of society. As Pew Research Center has previously found , the partisan gap in the perceived importance of getting a COVID-19 vaccine is the largest in the United States out of 19 countries surveyed this year. Climate change is also a key dividing line, with Democrats far more likely than Republicans to see it as a major threat .

Older and younger Americans diverge over what they see as very important for being a good member of society. Generally speaking, older people are more likely than younger people to find nearly all of the activities asked about to be very important. When it comes to voting, for example, 86% of those ages 65 and older say it’s very important, compared with around half (47%) of those under 30. On only two activities – making choices that help reduce the effects of climate change and joining demonstrations about issues people think are important – are older and younger people about equally likely to say it’s crucial for being a good member of society.

A chart showing that older Americans are far more likely than younger Americans to say it’s very important to follow politics and vote in elections to be a good member of society

Americans with at least a college degree or more education are more likely than those without a college degree to see voting and getting a COVID-19 vaccine as very important. The opposite is true when it comes to attending religious services regularly, and there are no educational differences when it comes to the perceived importance of the other activities asked about in the survey.

2020 voter turnout was highest among those who see voting as very important

Do Americans who see voting as very important to being a good member of society actually follow through and vote? A separate analysis of 2020 turnout data suggests that the answer is yes.

A bar chart showing that a majority of those who say voting is very important to being a good member of society are voters

Among those who say it’s very important to vote in order to be a good member of society, the vast majority (79%) cast a ballot in the 2020 election. Among those who say it’s somewhat important to vote to be a good member of society, far fewer (43%) cast a ballot in 2020. And around three-in-ten of those who see voting as either not too important (33%) or not important at all (30%) opted to vote in 2020.

Of course, there are many reasons why some Americans may not have cast a ballot in 2020, even if they generally see voting as an important civic duty.

essay on role of citizen in election

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Key findings about voter engagement in the 2020 election

What makes a good citizen voting, paying taxes, following the law top list, publics in emerging economies worry social media sow division, even as they offer new chances for political engagement, americans with higher education and income are more likely to be involved in community groups, many around the world are disengaged from politics, most popular.

About Pew Research Center Pew Research Center is a nonpartisan fact tank that informs the public about the issues, attitudes and trends shaping the world. It conducts public opinion polling, demographic research, media content analysis and other empirical social science research. Pew Research Center does not take policy positions. It is a subsidiary of The Pew Charitable Trusts .

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Growing Voters: Engaging Youth Before they Reach Voting Age to Strengthen Democracy

When more—and more diverse—young people are politically engaged earlier in life, they are more likely to remain engaged in the future and to be part of an electorate that is more representative of the country, which should be a key goal of our democracy. The 2018 midterm elections saw an extraordinary increase in youth participation, but the youngest eligible voters —those aged 18 and 19— still voted at significantly lower rates . That age disparity in youth turnout has long  been intractable, but it is far from inevitable. At the national, state, and local levels, there are steps we can take to eliminate this gap and to move from a paradigm focused on merely mobilizing voters, to one centered on Growing Voters.

How We “Miss” the Youngest Eligible Voters

We don’t automatically become engaged, informed, and empowered to participate in our democracy when we turn 18. Instead, young people begin to understand and experience democracy, and what role they are expected to play in it, well before they reach voting age. Before youth reach 18, they can have (or miss out on) experiences and receive implicit or explicit messages that shape whether they believe their voice matters and that change is possible. They also may or may not get practical information about how, where, and when to vote. All of these factors are shaped by the specific community conditions that surround young people: in their town or city, school, neighborhood, etc. The availability and quality of opportunities to develop as a voter and active community member is frequently unequal across these settings.

Community Conditions Matter

With youth voting in particular, a vicious cycle has developed. Because, for decades, young people have voted at lower rates than those aged 30+, there are often negative media narratives that suggest youth are apathetic. Many young people get the message that they’re being dismissed. What’s worse, these narratives very rarely focus on the real systemic barriers young people can face. Every community has a variety of assets and constraints to creating a culture where engagement is encouraged and facilitated. Because of the way engagement is often set up or administered, those challenges can be especially acute for youth from low-income households and from communities of color. For example, school clubs, youth organizations, and other extracurricular activities can be important “incubators” of civic behaviors, but depending on their race and ethnicity, or socioeconomic status,  young people may have very inequitable access to those opportunities .

Infographic of data related to barriers to voting among youth

Basic Voting Information Is Not Obvious or Ubiquitous

In addition, some young people don’t know basic information about elections and aren’t sure where to get accurate information, especially when it comes to local elections. As with other obstacles, this barrier to voting is exacerbated by broader inequities. In  our recent study of low-income youth , 39% said they did not know where to vote. And while some young people can rely on family, co-workers of peers who are experienced voters, many others lack that support system and are unaware of other resources (like county or state elections office websites) where they could find out what they need. Election administrators can do more to understand issues of youth access, especially for young people who aren’t on college campuses.

Campaigns Aren’t Talking to the Youngest Eligible Voters

We can use the 2018 election cycle as a case study of how youth can get left behind by traditional electoral engagement strategies, and  why we need a paradigm shift to increase and diversify voting among 18- and 19-year-olds, and youth engagement more broadly. 

In our pre-midterm election poll, conducted in September 2018, we found that the youngest voters intended to vote at about the same rate as their slightly older peers: 31% of youth aged 18-21 said it was “extremely likely” that they’d vote, and 34% of youth aged 18-24 said the same. This suggests that the interest in casting a ballot was relatively equal among all youth and, far from being a product of apathy, the age gap in turnout is due to the various factors that influence whether someone who wants to vote actually does so.

One of the major factors is contact by political parties and campaigns. Research has shown that contact correlates strongly with voting, but campaigns reach out to the youngest potential voters much less, and less often. In 2018, for example,  less than a third of young people aged 18-20 who were not in college and/or had no college experience were contacted , whereas 60% of 18 to 24-year-olds were contacted. There are several reasons: first, campaigns rely heavily on previous voter rolls when coordinating outreach, so newly eligible voters are frequently left out. In addition, many political campaigns focus their youth outreach efforts on college campuses, and 18- or 19-year olds who may still be in high school, new to college and still acclimating to campus life, or not college-bound, can miss out. These are systemic issues that call for broad-based solutions.

A New Paradigm: Growing Voters

While electoral reforms and campaign mobilization strategies that reach youth when they near or reach voting age are important, in order to achieve a more representative electorate and sustained increases in youth participation efforts to prepare young people for electoral and civic engagement must start much earlier. Young people’s ability and desire to participate are shaped by many factors throughout their childhood and adolescence, and many youth become political actors long before they turn 18. As young people showed last year, especially in the aftermath of the Parkland school shooting, youth are raising awareness about issues, leading movements, and persuading friends and peers—all while being affected by the decisions of their political leaders.

Many different people in a community can play a role in Growing Voters, and the strategies they pursue can shift given the resources and constraints in a given community. Here are some ways to advance the work of Growing Voters:

CIRCLE Growing Voters

In June 2022 we released a major CIRCLE Growing Voters report, which expands on this research and introduces a new framework for how to reach all youth, eliminate inequities in voter turnout, and prepare the next generations to participate in democracy.

K-12 Civics and Teaching about Elections

One key element of the Growing Voters paradigm is equitable, comprehensive K-12 civic education that incorporates teaching about voting and elections. Schools are uniquely able to reach nearly all youth in systematic ways, and to identify and address any gaps by race, socioeconomic status, etc. In our extensive research on the relationship between civic education and voting in the 2012 election, we found that teaching about voting increased the likelihood of students (self-reported) voting when they turn 18 by 40%. While more research on how districts and schools institutionalize this practice is needed, we know that there are ways to implement this beyond specific lesson plans. When schools and districts commit to teaching about elections and voting, it can reduce negative messages about politics and youth voice.

We know that educators can be hesitant to help students learn the ins-and-outs of the political process and of political participation out of fear of being accused of partisanship. However, it is possible and necessary for schools to reduce constraints on political engagement, create a climate that supports youth civic development, and incorporate non-partisan lessons that address the importance of voting and even the basics of how to fill out a ballot. Schools can also work with election officials and community-based organizations to facilitate voter registration for students who turn 18 and for younger students where pre-registration is available. CIRCLE coordinates a  national alliance  committed to supporting districts and schools’ efforts to create a school climate that support political learning and teach all students about elections and voting.

When implemented and properly supported statewide, a mandatory k-12 civics course that incorporates effective instructional practices can build young people’s civic knowledge, skills, and efficacy. Research has also shown that a civics test that is a graduation requirement can positively influence subsequent political engagement. (Importantly, this research did not include analysis of requirements to pass the American citizenship test , which some states have proposed or used as a civics test.) Relatedly, we recently found that 27 states now have language in their state codes that encourages, supports, and/or in a few cases requires a school or a local elections office to facilitate voter registration (and occasionally some basic education about voting, separate from course requirements and curricular standards) in high schools.

Facilitative Voting and Registration Laws

The 2018 election illustrates not just what’s not working, but what can make an impact. Youth voting, including turnout in 2018, can vary greatly at the state level. Youth turnout varied widely from state to state, including among 18- and 19-year-olds. While the national average was 23%, in six states (Colorado, Oregon, Minnesota, Montana, Nevada and Washington) the turnout rate for these “youngest youth” was above 30%. Five of those states (CO, OR, MN, NV, WA) have at least one of what we have termed facilitative election laws that make it easier for young people to register to vote and actually cast a ballot, such as automatic voter registration or pre-registration for youth before they turn 18. Our research has found that several of these policies have effects on youth voting:

  • Online voter registration -  A positive correlation between enacted state policy and turnout of youth aged 18-19, and a minor positive effect on the registration rate of that same age group
  • Strict Photo ID laws -  A negative correlation with the voter turnout of youth aged 18-29, especially among youth of color
  • Pre-registration -  A minor correlation with turnout for age 18-19 youth, but only if pre-registration is available for both 16- and 17-year-olds (as opposed to just for 17-year-olds)

Other state laws and codes that support, for example, having young people serve as poll workers and voter registration in high schools, can also strengthen youth electoral engagement . Full implementation of these policies across the country is an important goal and this can differ greatly at the state level and within a state.

Youth-Centered Election Administration

As with schools, there is election infrastructure in every county in the United States that has the opportunity to reach, inform, and prepare young people to participate in democracy. However,  our research  reveals that there are many youth who do not trust or feel welcome in election offices and don’t understand how to access information about registering and voting.  Election administrators have a crucial role to play in recognizing and working to overcome the specific barriers a wide range of young people face. These officials must rethink and redesign election administration to take into account the specific developmental needs of young potential voters; in particular, officials should not take for granted that youth will know, know where to find, or be able to easily learn from family and friends, basic information about when, where, and how to vote. This can include materials and processes informed by youth experiences, partnerships with local youth organizations, and state-level programs and resources from a Secretary of State or Board of Elections that can contribute to helpful state-specific materials and a culture of voting.

One particularly promising initiative: Several states allow for 16- and 17-year-olds to work at the polls on Election Day. These initiatives have multiple benefits: first,  election administrators often face a shortage of poll workers , especially bilingual poll workers. Second, young people get to see same-aged peers when they go to their polling place, which our research has shown can be an unwelcoming place for some youth. According to a 2019 Survey of Minnesota Student Election Judge Programs by the YMCA Center for Youth Voice and Minneapolis Elections, over half of the 107 Minnesota jurisdictions who responded engage high school students to serve as election judges. 

CIRCLE is currently partnering with Opportunity Youth United to support three OYUnited community action teams to build partnerships with local election officials to close these systemic gaps.

Supporting Diverse Local Youth Leadership and Voices

Other commitments central to Growing Voters can be advanced outside of the classroom or the county clerk’s office. Communities can support peer-to-peer outreach, organizing, and activism by creating or supporting spaces and opportunities for youth to come together and act on issues they care about, and by offering guidance and resources while letting young people, themselves, take the lead. Many of the educational and administrative practices we’ve mentioned can advance this goal: whether having teens as poll workers or using pedagogical practices centered on the concerns and ideas of youth. But just as important are community-based opportunities that can be led by youth, and that often provide opportunities for young people, especially those who have been marginalized, to develop critical consciousness and feel empowered to act.

Additionally, as civic institutions, media outlets also have roles to play in the work of bringing more community members into our democracy. Members of the media should interrogate narratives that suggest youth are politically apathetic, and they should focus on including more—and more diverse—young voices. Incorporating these voices can expand and enrich the stories being told, show other youth what their peers can achieve, and resonate with an audience that is often skeptical about the value and trustworthiness of media,  especially their local news .

Final Thoughts

The efforts and policies described above are only at their most effective in facilitating youth participation when they are implemented deliberately, with an eye toward quality and equity, and with mechanisms in place for evaluation and accountability. As such, most of these laws and initiatives require adequate funding for training, professional development, and/or staff time.

Young people are not just the future of our democracy; they’re a big part of its present. In every field, in every community, and in every sector of our society, all of us have a role to play in Growing Voters and ensuring that youth are fully prepared to contribute to the political life of the country. For 2020 and beyond, we can begin that work and start seeing its impact today.

Professor Owen M. Fiss on the Importance of Voting

i voted instructions

It was the spring semester of 2020. Sterling Professor Emeritus of Law Owen M. Fiss was teaching his class A Community of Equals, engaging students in discussions on civil rights laws pertaining to various topics, including voting. Fiss, who helped implement civil and voting rights laws in the 1960s, left the classroom discussion inspired and resolved to write his newest book, Why We Vote .

Why We Vote by Owen Fiss

Shortly after, Fiss found himself not only with an idea but a newfound abundance of time to write due to the COVID-19 pandemic. His work would prove to be timely, as the 2020 presidential election and Jan. 6, 2021 insurrection unfolded while penning the book.

Fiss starts by outlining why the U.S. Supreme Court has a responsibility to uphold the democratic ideal of the Constitution, then delves into recent events that have threatened it.

In the introduction, Fiss stresses the importance of voting, writing, “Unlike the mob that stormed the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, those who do not vote or refrain from voting do not threaten violence. Nor do they obstruct the functioning of a governmental institution. Yet through their inaction, they too impair the political freedom of America that arises from the democratic character of its government and thus violate their elemental duty of citizenship. We vote to preserve democracy and thus our own freedom.”

Each chapter in Why We Vote focuses on Supreme Court cases that sought to enlarge the freedom that democracy generates, pointing to rulings that allowed citizens to vote, facilitated the exercise of their right to vote, ensured the equality of votes, and provided feasible access to the ballot for independent candidates and new political parties.

Professor Owen M. Fiss poses with Cara Meyer ’22

In a concluding chapter, Fiss writes, “The right to vote is the means by which the ruled participate in the process of selecting their rulers and thus is essential for the fulfillment of the democratic purpose of the Constitution. It presumes that one person’s right to vote is as worthy as another’s.”

Fiss credits Cara Meyer ’22, one of the students from his A Community of Equals class, for her role in the discussion that led to Why We Vote and for serving as his editor and research assistant.

Owen Fiss joined the Yale faculty in 1974. In addition to teaching at the School for 50 years, Fiss co-directs the Abdallah S. Kamel Center for the Study of Islamic Law and Civilization and helped found YLS programs on Latin America and the Middle East. In the beginning of his career, he clerked for Thurgood Marshall and William J. Brennan Jr. and served in the Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice from 1966 to 1968. He is also a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and was awarded the Phillips Prize in 2020 by the American Philosophical Society for his lifetime achievement in jurisprudence.

Fiss’s countless articles as well as other works include The Civil Rights Injunction , Troubled Beginnings of the Modern State , The Structure of Procedure (with Robert Cover), Procedure (with Robert Cover and Judith Resnik), Liberalism Divided , The Irony of Free Speech , A Community of Equals: The Constitutional Protection of New Americans , A Way Out: America’s Ghettos and the Legacy of Racism , Adjudication and its Alternatives (with Judith Resnik), The Law as It Could Be , The Dictates of Justice: Essays on Law and Human Rights , A War Like No Other: The Constitution in a Time of Terror , and Pillars of Justice: Lawyers and the Liberal Tradition .

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Essay on Election for Students and Children

500+ words essay on election.

Election is the process through which people can express their political opinion. They express this opinion by public voting to choose a political leader . Furthermore, this political leader would have authority and responsibility. Most noteworthy, Election is a formal group decision making the process. Also, the selected political leader would hold public office. The election is certainly a vital pillar of democracy. This is because; Election ensures that the government is of the people, by the people, and for the people.

essay on role of citizen in election

Characteristics of Election

First of all, suffrage is an important part of Election . Most noteworthy, suffrage refers to the right to vote in Elections. The question of who may vote is certainly an important issue. The electorate probably never includes the entire population. Almost all countries prohibit individuals under the age of majority from voting. For example, in India, the age of majority is attainable at the age of 18 years.

The nomination of a candidate is also an important characteristic of Election. This means to officially suggest someone for Election. Nomination refers to the process of selecting a candidate for election to a public office. Furthermore, endorsements or testimonials are public statements to support a candidate’s nomination.

Another essential characteristic of Election is electoral systems. Electoral systems refer to detailed constitutional arrangements and voting systems. Furthermore, detailed constitutional arrangements and voting systems convert the vote into a political decision.

The first step is the tally of votes. For this purpose, there is the use of various vote counting systems and ballot. Then comes the determination of the result on the basis of the tally. Also, the categorization of most systems is as either proportional or majoritarian.

Scheduling refers to arranging and controlling of Elections. Elected officials are accountable to the people. Therefore, they must return to the voters at regular intervals of time. Elected officials must do that so as to seek a mandate to continue in office. Above all, most countries arrange elections at fixed regular intervals.

An election campaign is also an integral part of Election. Election campaign refers to an organized effort to positively influence the decision making of a particular group. Consequently, politicians compete with each other by trying to woo more and more individuals.

Get the huge list of more than 500 Essay Topics and Ideas

Importance of Election

First of all, the Election is a peaceful and efficient way of choosing political leaders. Furthermore, citizens of a Nation choose a leader by casting their votes. In this way, the citizens are able to choose an individual whose views appeal to them most. Hence, people are able to exercise their will in political leadership.

An election is an excellent opportunity for people to express their resentment. Most noteworthy, if people are unhappy with a particular leadership, then they can remove it from power. People can certainly replace an undesirous leadership with a better alternative through Election.

The election is a handsome opportunity for political participation. Furthermore, it is a way by which new issues can be raised in public. In most democratic countries, common citizens are allowed to contest elections independently.

Consequently, a citizen could introduce reforms which are not any political party’s agenda. Also, in most democratic countries, a citizen could form a new political party to contest Election.

Election helps keep the power of political leaders in check. The ruling parties cannot afford to do any wrongdoing to the public due to the risk of losing Election. Hence, Election serves as an efficient power check and control for those in the ruling power.

To sum it up, Election is the symbol of political freedom. Most noteworthy, it is the tool which puts authority in the hands of common people. Democracy certainly would be non-functional without it. People must realize the value of Elections and come out in large numbers to vote.

Q1 What are electoral systems?

A1  Electoral systems are detailed constitutional arrangements and voting systems. These detailed constitutional arrangements and voting systems convert the vote into a political decision.

Q2 How Election helps keep the power of the political leaders in check?

A2 Elections certainly help keep the power of the political leaders in check. This is because political leaders cannot afford to do any wrongdoing to the public due to the risk of losing Election

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Essay on Election

An election is a formal decision-making process in which people choose their political representatives. Since the 17th century, elections have been the primary method used to carry out representative democracy in modern times. Elections may be held to fill legislative, occasionally executive, occasionally judicial, and occasionally regional and municipal positions. Numerous other private and commercial organisations, including clubs, nonprofit organisations, and corporations, also use this procedure to elect their leaders.

Essay on Election

100 Words Essay on Election

India is one of the most populous democratic countries in the world, and democracy plays a vital role in our country. Elections in our country are held once in every five years. The results of the elections are often subject to numerous rumors, analyses, and opinions in the news. During times of election, the entire nation is engulfed in a frenzy. But we know that the Election Commission of India (ECI), established in 1950 and responsible for monitoring and election procedures, also has a strong sense of style. The ECI is a massive organisation with several duties to carry out with regard to organising and processing elections in the country. The current Chief Election Commissioner of India is Rajiv Kumar.

200 Words Essay on Election

Elections are a way for a group of people (citizens of a country, employees of an organisation, students of a class, etc.) to come to a consensus about who will be their leading representatives. Ever since India became independent in 1947 and took up a democratic form of government, elections have been the medium through which people have chosen their leaders. Elections take place every five years in India. It is believed to be the mark of a responsible citizen to go and caste their vote in elections.

Conducting Body

The primary organisation in charge of overseeing elections in India is the Election Commission of India (ECI). The Indian constitution established the Election Commission, a body with the power to supervise the conduct of elections and referendums across the nation. Under Lok Sabha's confirmation, the president appoints the chairman of the commission for a 5-year tenure (House of the People). The president appoints the other members of the commission for a 7-year term at the suggestion of the prime minister, subject to the Lok Sabha’s approval.

Why Are Elections Necessary?

India is a democratic country, which essentially means that it is “ruled by its people”. Hence, elections become a mechanism through which citizens of the country voice their opinions as to who they want should lead them, giving everyone a fair say, and also appropriate feedback to those already in leading positions about how well their rule was received.

500 Words Essay on Elections

In a democratic country, people have the freedom to choose their leaders. Without democracy, people have no voice and are reduced to subservient slaves who obey their rulers. They had no choice but to obey their rules and their laws. Under British rule, India was monarchy. However, after independence, it became a democratic country.

Types of Elections In India

Presidential, Lok Sabha (General Election), Rajya Sabha, State Legislature, and local body elections are the main types of elections held in India. The General Elections (MP) and State Legislature Assembly (MLA) for the selection of the Prime Minister and Chief Minister of State, respectively, are the elections in which the public is directly involved.

Presidential Elections | The Electoral College is made up of a total of 538 electors. After the general election, each elector casts one vote. 270 votes or more are required to win. Following that, on January 20, the newly-elected President and Vice President come to power.

Lok Sabha (General Election) | The Lok Sabha elections are held once in five years to elect 543 members of the Lok Sabha. The first general elections or elections to the Lok Sabha after India became independent were held between October 25, 1951, and February 21, 1952.

Local Body Elections | Local Body Elections (India) are elections held in the states and union territories of the nation to choose representatives for local bodies, following the 73rd amendment to the Indian Constitution.

Election Campaigns

The parties contesting in the elections run their respective campaigns few days prior to the election date, wherein they pitch to the citizens as to why the latter should vote for them and bring them to power. Here is why election campaigns are important:-

Structuring Public Opinion | Political parties use methods like public meetings, rallies, road shows, interviews, etc. during election campaigns to try and shape the public's opinion. It provides them with a platform via which they may communicate with the public and ask them to support them in the elections.

Platform For Debate | Political campaigns offer a stage for constructive discussion between political opponents. It allows them an equal opportunity to promote their successes and expose the flaws of their opponents, assisting the general public in forming opinions about the election.

Reaching Out To The Public | The election campaign facilitates public outreach through neighborhood public meetings, open forums, one-on-one conversations, direct engagement with the public, and other means to let people understand the realities of a region.

Election Process in India

In India, the election process begins with the announcement of the election dates, which is followed by the candidates submitting their nominations, which are then reviewed and approved by the electoral commission. Voting is done through electronic voting machines (EVMs) throughout the election day in the relevant constituencies. Any Indian citizen who has reached the age of 18 and possesses a valid form of identification is eligible to vote in the election. Votes are counted on the day results are announced, and the candidate with the highest number of votes is proclaimed the winner.

Explore Career Options (By Industry)

  • Construction
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Data Administrator

Database professionals use software to store and organise data such as financial information, and customer shipping records. Individuals who opt for a career as data administrators ensure that data is available for users and secured from unauthorised sales. DB administrators may work in various types of industries. It may involve computer systems design, service firms, insurance companies, banks and hospitals.

Bio Medical Engineer

The field of biomedical engineering opens up a universe of expert chances. An Individual in the biomedical engineering career path work in the field of engineering as well as medicine, in order to find out solutions to common problems of the two fields. The biomedical engineering job opportunities are to collaborate with doctors and researchers to develop medical systems, equipment, or devices that can solve clinical problems. Here we will be discussing jobs after biomedical engineering, how to get a job in biomedical engineering, biomedical engineering scope, and salary. 

Ethical Hacker

A career as ethical hacker involves various challenges and provides lucrative opportunities in the digital era where every giant business and startup owns its cyberspace on the world wide web. Individuals in the ethical hacker career path try to find the vulnerabilities in the cyber system to get its authority. If he or she succeeds in it then he or she gets its illegal authority. Individuals in the ethical hacker career path then steal information or delete the file that could affect the business, functioning, or services of the organization.

Data Analyst

The invention of the database has given fresh breath to the people involved in the data analytics career path. Analysis refers to splitting up a whole into its individual components for individual analysis. Data analysis is a method through which raw data are processed and transformed into information that would be beneficial for user strategic thinking.

Data are collected and examined to respond to questions, evaluate hypotheses or contradict theories. It is a tool for analyzing, transforming, modeling, and arranging data with useful knowledge, to assist in decision-making and methods, encompassing various strategies, and is used in different fields of business, research, and social science.

Water Manager

A career as water manager needs to provide clean water, preventing flood damage, and disposing of sewage and other wastes. He or she also repairs and maintains structures that control the flow of water, such as reservoirs, sea defense walls, and pumping stations. In addition to these, the Manager has other responsibilities related to water resource management.

Geothermal Engineer

Individuals who opt for a career as geothermal engineers are the professionals involved in the processing of geothermal energy. The responsibilities of geothermal engineers may vary depending on the workplace location. Those who work in fields design facilities to process and distribute geothermal energy. They oversee the functioning of machinery used in the field.

Geotechnical engineer

The role of geotechnical engineer starts with reviewing the projects needed to define the required material properties. The work responsibilities are followed by a site investigation of rock, soil, fault distribution and bedrock properties on and below an area of interest. The investigation is aimed to improve the ground engineering design and determine their engineering properties that include how they will interact with, on or in a proposed construction. 

The role of geotechnical engineer in mining includes designing and determining the type of foundations, earthworks, and or pavement subgrades required for the intended man-made structures to be made. Geotechnical engineering jobs are involved in earthen and concrete dam construction projects, working under a range of normal and extreme loading conditions. 

Operations Manager

Individuals in the operations manager jobs are responsible for ensuring the efficiency of each department to acquire its optimal goal. They plan the use of resources and distribution of materials. The operations manager's job description includes managing budgets, negotiating contracts, and performing administrative tasks.

Budget Analyst

Budget analysis, in a nutshell, entails thoroughly analyzing the details of a financial budget. The budget analysis aims to better understand and manage revenue. Budget analysts assist in the achievement of financial targets, the preservation of profitability, and the pursuit of long-term growth for a business. Budget analysts generally have a bachelor's degree in accounting, finance, economics, or a closely related field. Knowledge of Financial Management is of prime importance in this career.

Finance Executive

A career as a Finance Executive requires one to be responsible for monitoring an organisation's income, investments and expenses to create and evaluate financial reports. His or her role involves performing audits, invoices, and budget preparations. He or she manages accounting activities, bank reconciliations, and payable and receivable accounts.  

Product Manager

A Product Manager is a professional responsible for product planning and marketing. He or she manages the product throughout the Product Life Cycle, gathering and prioritising the product. A product manager job description includes defining the product vision and working closely with team members of other departments to deliver winning products.  

Investment Banker

An Investment Banking career involves the invention and generation of capital for other organizations, governments, and other entities. Individuals who opt for a career as Investment Bankers are the head of a team dedicated to raising capital by issuing bonds. Investment bankers are termed as the experts who have their fingers on the pulse of the current financial and investing climate. Students can pursue various Investment Banker courses, such as Banking and Insurance , and  Economics to opt for an Investment Banking career path.

Underwriter

An underwriter is a person who assesses and evaluates the risk of insurance in his or her field like mortgage, loan, health policy, investment, and so on and so forth. The underwriter career path does involve risks as analysing the risks means finding out if there is a way for the insurance underwriter jobs to recover the money from its clients. If the risk turns out to be too much for the company then in the future it is an underwriter who will be held accountable for it. Therefore, one must carry out his or her job with a lot of attention and diligence.

Commercial Manager

A Commercial Manager negotiates, advises and secures information about pricing for commercial contracts. He or she is responsible for developing financial plans in order to maximise the business's profitability.

Welding Engineer

Welding Engineer Job Description: A Welding Engineer work involves managing welding projects and supervising welding teams. He or she is responsible for reviewing welding procedures, processes and documentation. A career as Welding Engineer involves conducting failure analyses and causes on welding issues. 

Transportation Planner

A career as Transportation Planner requires technical application of science and technology in engineering, particularly the concepts, equipment and technologies involved in the production of products and services. In fields like land use, infrastructure review, ecological standards and street design, he or she considers issues of health, environment and performance. A Transportation Planner assigns resources for implementing and designing programmes. He or she is responsible for assessing needs, preparing plans and forecasts and compliance with regulations.

Construction Manager

Individuals who opt for a career as construction managers have a senior-level management role offered in construction firms. Responsibilities in the construction management career path are assigning tasks to workers, inspecting their work, and coordinating with other professionals including architects, subcontractors, and building services engineers.

Environmental Engineer

Individuals who opt for a career as an environmental engineer are construction professionals who utilise the skills and knowledge of biology, soil science, chemistry and the concept of engineering to design and develop projects that serve as solutions to various environmental problems. 

Naval Architect

A Naval Architect is a professional who designs, produces and repairs safe and sea-worthy surfaces or underwater structures. A Naval Architect stays involved in creating and designing ships, ferries, submarines and yachts with implementation of various principles such as gravity, ideal hull form, buoyancy and stability. 

Field Surveyor

Are you searching for a Field Surveyor Job Description? A Field Surveyor is a professional responsible for conducting field surveys for various places or geographical conditions. He or she collects the required data and information as per the instructions given by senior officials. 

Highway Engineer

Highway Engineer Job Description:  A Highway Engineer is a civil engineer who specialises in planning and building thousands of miles of roads that support connectivity and allow transportation across the country. He or she ensures that traffic management schemes are effectively planned concerning economic sustainability and successful implementation.

Conservation Architect

A Conservation Architect is a professional responsible for conserving and restoring buildings or monuments having a historic value. He or she applies techniques to document and stabilise the object’s state without any further damage. A Conservation Architect restores the monuments and heritage buildings to bring them back to their original state.

Orthotist and Prosthetist

Orthotists and Prosthetists are professionals who provide aid to patients with disabilities. They fix them to artificial limbs (prosthetics) and help them to regain stability. There are times when people lose their limbs in an accident. In some other occasions, they are born without a limb or orthopaedic impairment. Orthotists and prosthetists play a crucial role in their lives with fixing them to assistive devices and provide mobility.

Veterinary Doctor

A veterinary doctor is a medical professional with a degree in veterinary science. The veterinary science qualification is the minimum requirement to become a veterinary doctor. There are numerous veterinary science courses offered by various institutes. He or she is employed at zoos to ensure they are provided with good health facilities and medical care to improve their life expectancy.

Pathologist

A career in pathology in India is filled with several responsibilities as it is a medical branch and affects human lives. The demand for pathologists has been increasing over the past few years as people are getting more aware of different diseases. Not only that, but an increase in population and lifestyle changes have also contributed to the increase in a pathologist’s demand. The pathology careers provide an extremely huge number of opportunities and if you want to be a part of the medical field you can consider being a pathologist. If you want to know more about a career in pathology in India then continue reading this article.

Speech Therapist

Gynaecologist.

Gynaecology can be defined as the study of the female body. The job outlook for gynaecology is excellent since there is evergreen demand for one because of their responsibility of dealing with not only women’s health but also fertility and pregnancy issues. Although most women prefer to have a women obstetrician gynaecologist as their doctor, men also explore a career as a gynaecologist and there are ample amounts of male doctors in the field who are gynaecologists and aid women during delivery and childbirth. 

An oncologist is a specialised doctor responsible for providing medical care to patients diagnosed with cancer. He or she uses several therapies to control the cancer and its effect on the human body such as chemotherapy, immunotherapy, radiation therapy and biopsy. An oncologist designs a treatment plan based on a pathology report after diagnosing the type of cancer and where it is spreading inside the body.

Audiologist

The audiologist career involves audiology professionals who are responsible to treat hearing loss and proactively preventing the relevant damage. Individuals who opt for a career as an audiologist use various testing strategies with the aim to determine if someone has a normal sensitivity to sounds or not. After the identification of hearing loss, a hearing doctor is required to determine which sections of the hearing are affected, to what extent they are affected, and where the wound causing the hearing loss is found. As soon as the hearing loss is identified, the patients are provided with recommendations for interventions and rehabilitation such as hearing aids, cochlear implants, and appropriate medical referrals. While audiology is a branch of science that studies and researches hearing, balance, and related disorders.

Cardiothoracic Surgeon

Cardiothoracic surgeons are an important part of the surgical team. They usually work in hospitals, and perform emergency as well as scheduled operations. Some of the cardiothoracic surgeons also work in teaching hospitals working as teachers and guides for medical students aspiring to become a cardiothoracic surgeon. A career as a cardiothoracic surgeon involves treating and managing various types of conditions within their speciality that includes their presence at different locations such as outpatient clinics, team meetings, and ward rounds. 

For an individual who opts for a career as an actor, the primary responsibility is to completely speak to the character he or she is playing and to persuade the crowd that the character is genuine by connecting with them and bringing them into the story. This applies to significant roles and littler parts, as all roles join to make an effective creation. Here in this article, we will discuss how to become an actor in India, actor exams, actor salary in India, and actor jobs. 

Individuals who opt for a career as acrobats create and direct original routines for themselves, in addition to developing interpretations of existing routines. The work of circus acrobats can be seen in a variety of performance settings, including circus, reality shows, sports events like the Olympics, movies and commercials. Individuals who opt for a career as acrobats must be prepared to face rejections and intermittent periods of work. The creativity of acrobats may extend to other aspects of the performance. For example, acrobats in the circus may work with gym trainers, celebrities or collaborate with other professionals to enhance such performance elements as costume and or maybe at the teaching end of the career.

Video Game Designer

Career as a video game designer is filled with excitement as well as responsibilities. A video game designer is someone who is involved in the process of creating a game from day one. He or she is responsible for fulfilling duties like designing the character of the game, the several levels involved, plot, art and similar other elements. Individuals who opt for a career as a video game designer may also write the codes for the game using different programming languages.

Depending on the video game designer job description and experience they may also have to lead a team and do the early testing of the game in order to suggest changes and find loopholes.

Talent Agent

The career as a Talent Agent is filled with responsibilities. A Talent Agent is someone who is involved in the pre-production process of the film. It is a very busy job for a Talent Agent but as and when an individual gains experience and progresses in the career he or she can have people assisting him or her in work. Depending on one’s responsibilities, number of clients and experience he or she may also have to lead a team and work with juniors under him or her in a talent agency. In order to know more about the job of a talent agent continue reading the article.

If you want to know more about talent agent meaning, how to become a Talent Agent, or Talent Agent job description then continue reading this article.

Radio Jockey

Radio Jockey is an exciting, promising career and a great challenge for music lovers. If you are really interested in a career as radio jockey, then it is very important for an RJ to have an automatic, fun, and friendly personality. If you want to get a job done in this field, a strong command of the language and a good voice are always good things. Apart from this, in order to be a good radio jockey, you will also listen to good radio jockeys so that you can understand their style and later make your own by practicing.

A career as radio jockey has a lot to offer to deserving candidates. If you want to know more about a career as radio jockey, and how to become a radio jockey then continue reading the article.

Videographer

Careers in videography are art that can be defined as a creative and interpretive process that culminates in the authorship of an original work of art rather than a simple recording of a simple event. It would be wrong to portrait it as a subcategory of photography, rather photography is one of the crafts used in videographer jobs in addition to technical skills like organization, management, interpretation, and image-manipulation techniques. Students pursue Visual Media , Film, Television, Digital Video Production to opt for a videographer career path. The visual impacts of a film are driven by the creative decisions taken in videography jobs. Individuals who opt for a career as a videographer are involved in the entire lifecycle of a film and production. 

Multimedia Specialist

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essay on role of citizen in election

The Role of Election Observation

Over the last three decades, a global movement of nonpartisan citizen election monitoring has collectively mobilized millions of citizens around the world to participate in their countries' democratic processes as election observers. When citizens come together to observe elections, they may have a number of goals. Depending on the context, civil society might mobilize to observe an election in order to: engage citizens in the election process; deter fraud; expose problems and irregularities; provide an accurate measure of the quality of the election; promote confidence in the process and outcomes; and provide recommendations for improving the process for the next election. In the longer term, citizen election observation helps ensure electoral integrity, and strengthens civil society's capacity to promote citizen participation, engage in policy advocacy and foster governmental accountability within and well beyond the election cycle.

NDI Photo, Ukraine elections 2014

More than 200 citizen election observation organizations in over 80 countries make up the Global Network of Domestic Election Monitors (GNDEM) , formed in 2009. GNDEM is united by the Declaration of Global Principles for Nonpartisan Election Observation and Monitoring by Citizen Organizations , which was launched at the United Nations in 2012 and has been endorsed by more than 245 citizen observer groups. The Declaration of Global Principles defines the rationale, rights and responsibilities of nonpartisan citizen election observers. [1] GNDEM unites regional networks of citizen election monitors from five continents as well as national organizations and coalitions. The global and regional networks are a consequence of cross-border relationships developed over more than 25 years with the assistance of NDI and others. These networks overlap with other participation, accountability, anti-corruption and open government efforts, which can advance open data principles and practice.

Citizen monitors are well-positioned to evaluate a range of aspects of the election process if relevant data is effectively available. Equipped with open election data, observer groups can better promote confidence in the process, deter fraud, provide an accurate assessment of the election or achieve other goals. With access to polling station data , for example, some groups use statistics to deploy observers to a random, representative sample of polling stations, giving them a highly accurate assessment of election day procedures. These efforts can contribute significantly to promoting public confidence in an election and calming tensions in the post-election period. Other groups, with access to the voter list conduct analysis to verify accuracy of the list and highlight ways that voter registration -- and the list itself -- could be improved for the upcoming and/or next election. Observers also often use election information to help educate voters about how to register to vote, cast their ballots on election day and make informed choices among contestants.

International election observation can assess whether an election is in line with international standards, highlight specific recommendations for improvement, and demonstrate the support of the international community for genuine democratic elections. Where deserved, international election observation can also promote public confidence in an election. The legal and ethical bases as well as basic methods of international observation are defined in the Declaration of Principles for International Election Observation , developed in a multi-organization process initiated by the United National Electoral Assistance Division, NDI and The Carter Center. The Declaration of Principles , launched at the United Nations in 2005, has been formally endorsed by more than 45 of the leading international observation organizations and recognized with appreciation by the UN General Assembly for contributing to harmonizing the practice of international observation.

International election observers can play an important role in promoting open electoral data principles and practices as a means of advancing public confidence in genuine democratic elections. While the varying conditions of specific countries may be more or less conducive, international election observers can comment on the transparency of electoral practices and would benefit from access to electoral data and analysis or open electoral data by various credible sources.

NDI has published numerous handbooks and manuals on various aspects and methodologies of citizen election observation, available at https://www.ndi.org/elections . ↩︎

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essay on role of citizen in election

Social Studies Note for Grade X | Unit- 5 | Lesson- 8 Role of Citizens in the Election

Social Studies Note for Grade X | Unit- 5 | Lesson- 8 Role of Citizens in the Election

Role of Citizens in the Election

A periodical election provides an opportunity to people for electing representatives as per their choice in different times. People can choose their preferred candidate or party in the election to form their government. A fair, independent and impartial election can help in the resolution of national problems. The citizens have to play important role to make the election successful, respectable and disciplined. They should play various roles before, during and after election. The role of citizens in the election is presented as follows:

Role of citizens

Before election.

  • Verify the electoral roll and make sure that the name of family members who have attained 18 years of age is included in the electoral roll.
  • Help the Election Commission to update and revise the electoral roll if found any error in personal details.
  • Encourage and help the neighbors and relatives to verify and update the electoral roll.
  • Encourage the voters in the family and neighborhood to participate in the election for casting their votes.
  • Study the manifestos of different political parties and discuss with the voters to elect the best candidate.
  • Learn and teach other people about the technique of casting vote so that it would not be invalid, and
  • Counsel the voters that they should not fall in greed and threat.

During Election

  • Carry the voter identity card and remind others to do so.
  • Stand in queue to cast the vote in disciplined manner.
  • Cast the vote regardless of nepotism and favoritism.
  • Help the aged, differently able and needy ones to cast the vote.
  • Raise the voice if there is any irregularity or violation of election code of conduct, and
  • Support the electoral officials to conduct election in peaceful environment.

After Election

  • Wait for the result patiently.
  • Congratulate and suggest the winner candidate to carry out the works in favor of people and the country, and
  • Carry out the clean up campaign in and around the polling station, or booths.

Role of students in the election

  • Providing correct information and helping the election commission to update the electoral roll
  • Encouraging people to cast vote for electing the best candidate or party
  • Teaching people about proper stamping on ballot paper
  • Helping to maintain peaceful environment in the polling station, and
  • Supporting aged and physically challenged people to cast their votes in the polling station

Short Questions:

  • Prepare a dialogue between two friends on the role of a responsible citizen in the election.
  • A good citizen must participate in an election. Prepare a dialogue on it.
  • How do you convince your family members who don’t wish to vote in the election?
  • What suggestions would you give to your guardians and neighborhood to cast the vote?

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Unit:-5, Lesson:-8 Role of Citizens in the Election

Unit-5 Lesson-8

Role of Citizens in the Election

A.  Short answer questions

1.  Prepare a model of dialogue between two friends who were discussing the role of a responsible citizen in the election.

Ans:- (Pooja and Sonam are discussing about the role of a responsible citizen in the election)

Pooja  : Hi Sonam, what you are reading now?

Sonam : Hi puja, I am reading an election manifesto prepared for the election.

Pooja  : Is it necessary to study the manifesto?

Sonam : Yes Pooja, it is our duty to select the best party in the election to develop our country.

Pooja  : What the people should do in the time of election?

Sonam : Good question. Listen! Election is the base of democracy. To cast the vote is the right and duty of citizen. We should use our voting right to select capable, energetic candidate for the development of nation. Not only this, we should teach our neighbor about the technique of casting vote, encourage the votes to participate in the election, we should counsel the voters to not to fall in greed and threat. We can support to conduct election in peaceful environment. We also can help the Election commission as volunteer.

Pooja  : thank you so much for your information.

(Both of them exit from the room for refreshment)

2.  “A good citizen must participate in an election”. Prepare a dialogue on this topic.

Ans:- (A conversation between Sunil and Gauri Shankar on election)

Sunil    : “Gauri Shankar, can you tell me what is an election?”

Gauri Shankar   : “Election is a democratic process to choose the candidates for various posts through the voting.”

Sunil    : “Gauri Shankar, can you tell me why a good citizen must participate in election?”

Gauri Shankar    : “Of course Sunil, you have asked a good question. Listen, election is an important event of a country because we can choose our government by ourselves through the election. If we participate in the election and vote to the right person, a good governance is possible. After all it is a duty of every citizen to take part in election.”

Sunil    : “What will happen if we do not participate in any election, Gauri Shankar?”

Gauri Shankar  : “If good citizens do not participate in election, wrong persons may go to the power and country may not develop properly. Corruption main take place and they may be political instability in the country which is not good for the country as well as the people.”

Sunil    : “What types of election there in the country and who are to be elected?”

Gauri Shankar    : “There are various types of election that take place in our country such as election for parliament, election of local bodies like VDC, municipality, DDC, etc. The most Richard the right candidates in all these bodies so that country can be ruled smoothly and develop faster”.

Sunil    : “Thank you Gauri Shankar for your information. I will also take part in all the election and choose the right candidate.”

3.  What suggestions would you give to your guardians and neighbor to cast the vote?

Ans:- I would suggest in the following ways to my guardians and neighbor to cast their vote:

i)  To select good, active, patriotic and capable candidate.

ii)  To stamp on only one symbol and to fold the ballot paper properly.

iii)  To go to the polling booth turn-by-turn.

iv)  To stand in queue to cast vote.

v)  To carry the voter identity card and remind others to do the same.

vi)  Not to fall for greed and threat.

4.  How do you convince your family members who don’t wish to vote in the election? 

Ans:- I will convince my family members who don’t wish to vote in the election in the following ways:

i)  To get voting right is great chance to elect right candidate.

ii)  To vote is to utilize the civic right.

iii)  We can select right candidate who can run the government, make act, laws and rules.

iv)  A single vote also has great importance in the election to elect right candidate.

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Politics latest: Why Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle appears safe for now - as minister criticises 'real culprit' for Commons chaos

The safety of MPs remains in the spotlight as the Speaker defends his actions in the Commons. Listen to a teaser episode of Electoral Dysfunction, the new podcast from Sky News as you scroll.

Friday 23 February 2024 17:19, UK

  • Starmer the 'real culprit' for Commons chaos, minister claims
  • Rob Powell:  Speaker's position seems more secure now
  • Gaza vote controversy explained - and why Speaker is facing anger from MPs
  • 71 MPs have signed no-confidence motion  |  How Speaker can be ejected
  • From bodyguards to death threats - the real impact of this week's events
  • Electoral Dysfunction podcast teaser: Could next Tory leader actually be really obvious?
  • Live reporting by  Charlotte Chelsom-Pill

One year ago, Rishi Sunak made five pledges for voters to judge him on.

The prime minister met his pledge to halve inflation by the end of 2023, leaving four pledges outstanding.

However, he is faring less well with his other pledges.

It has been confirmed the UK is now in recession, which means the PM's pledge to grow the economy is not being met.

With the general election approaching, how is Mr Sunak doing on delivering his other promises?

You can see the progress for yourself below.

The Speaker has been facing pressure this week after Wednesday's chaos in the Commons over the Gaza ceasefire votes.

A total of 71 MPs have now signed a motion of no-confidence in Sir Lindsay Hoyle.

However, it should be noted that the motion has been losing momentum since yesterday afternoon and the initial danger to the Speaker's position appears to have subsided.

It's also important to note this early day motion won't necessarily force Sir Lindsay out.

He is not bound to resign if a certain number of MPs back it - and there is unlikely to be a debate on it.

Rather, the EDM is being used as a mechanism by his critics to show the strength of feeling in parliament after what happened with the Gaza ceasefire votes.

Sir Lindsay sparked outrage among SNP and Tory MPs when he selected a Labour amendment to the SNP's motion.

Convention dictates that only the government can amend an opposition motion, but Sir Lindsay opted to choose Labour's amendment as well as the government's.

The Sky News live poll tracker - collated and updated by our Data and Forensics team - aggregates various surveys to indicate how voters feel about different political parties.

Labour is still sitting comfortably on a roughly 19-point lead, averaging at 44% in the polls, and the Tories on 25.2%.

In third are the Lib Dems on 9.7%, followed by Reform on 9.2%.

The Green Party stands at 6.3%, and the SNP on 3.2%.

See the latest update below - and you can read more about the methodology behind the tracker  here .

By Jennifer Scott , political reporter

Downing Street has condemned protesters for projecting "from the river to the sea" onto Big Ben during a pro-Palestinian rally on Wednesday night.

The demonstration took place in Parliament Square as MPs debated calls for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, which led to chaotic scenes in the Commons.

The prime minister's official spokesperson said it was "wrong" for the controversial phrase to be used, though stopped short of saying police should have acted over it, adding: "It is rightly a decision for the independent police to make operational decisions on the ground."

Other words were also projected onto the Elizabeth Tower, including "stop bombing Gaza," "ceasefire now", and "stop war now".

But the use of "from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free" has drawn anger from some pro-Israel supporters, who argue the phrase calls for the eradication of the Israeli state.

Some pro-Palestinian supporters reject this, saying it is simply expressing the need for equality for all inhabitants of historic Palestine.

Read more here:

Conservative MP David Davis has accused the government of continuing to "shirk its obligations" after Shamima Begum lost an appeal today against the removal of her British citizenship. 

"Shamima Begum is British, and should be repatriated along with all our other nationals detained without charge or trial in North East Syria, to face British justice, where appropriate," Mr Davis said.

"Our international allies recognised this as the only sensible solution long ago - the government must finally take responsibility and abandon its failed policy."

The east London schoolgirl travelled to Syria in 2015 at the age of 15.

Her citizenship was revoked on national security grounds shortly after she was found in a refugee camp in 2019.

She has now lost an appeal against that decision (see post at 11.17am).

The ruling has been welcomed by both Downing Street and the Home Office.

While declining to comment on the details of individual cases, a No 10 spokeswoman said: "We're pleased the court has found in favour of the government.

"Beyond that, I would just say that our priority remains on maintaining the safety and security of the UK.

"We'll always take the strongest possible action to protect our national security and we never take decisions around deprivation (of citizenship) lightly."

The comments were echoed by a Home Office spokesperson, who said: "Our priority remains maintaining the safety and security of the UK, and we will robustly defend any decision made in doing so" (see post at 11.30am).

However, Mr Davis warned: "Despite today’s judgement, the government cannot continue to shirk its obligations on this issue".

Ms Begum's lawyers have vowed to "keep fighting", although the specifics of what comes next are not clear (see post at 14.35).

The King has formally stripped Paula Vennells, the former chief executive of the Post Office, of her CBE.

Ms Vennells received the honour in 2019 but was widely criticised amid the fallout from the Post Office scandal.

She had previously said she would give up the honour.

Ms Vennells was portrayed by an actor in the ITV drama, Mr Bates Vs The Post Office, which brought the scandal to the wider attention of the public earlier this year.

More than 700 sub-postmasters and mistresses had their reputations ruined by allegations of theft and false accounting, with many left bankrupt or in prison, as a result of a computer system called Horizon.

The scandal is considered the widest miscarriage of justice in British history.

By Henry Vaughan , home affairs reporter and feature writer

Shamima Begum's lawyer Daniel Furner has vowed to "keep fighting" after the 24-year-old lost the latest round of her five-year legal battle following the removal of her British citizenship in 2019. But the specifics are less clear. 

In the unanimous decision to dismiss her attempt to overturn the decision of the lower court - the Special Immigration Appeals Commission (SIAC) - three Court of Appeal judges rejected all of her five arguments.

Her lawyers are considering the full 42-page judgment, which they saw for the first time on Friday, and any arguments over its consequences - which could include a bid to appeal against the decision at the Supreme Court - have been adjourned for seven days.

Speaking after the ruling, one of Ms Begum's lawyers said it was too soon to say whether they would lodge an appeal at the UK's highest court but appealed directly to the government to follow in the footsteps of other countries which have repatriated their citizens.

"Every other country has taken their nationals back - France, Germany, Belgium, America, Canada, Australia," said Gareth Peirce.

"Every country in a comparable position has seen that there is no alternative but to take their nationals back. The UK stands now virtually alone."

But Downing Street welcomed the Court of Appeal's decision and it is impossible to see the government allowing Ms Begum - who remains in a refugee camp in northern Syria following her travel to the country aged 15 - to return to the UK without being forced by the courts.

Labour MP Jess Phillips has revealed former home secretary Dame Priti Patel checked in on her every week after the murder of Conservative MP Sir David Amess.

Ms Phillips talks about the aftermath of Sir David's murder in a teaser episode of the new Sky News podcast Electoral Dysfunction . 

Starting next week, it will bring together Jess, Conservative peer Ruth Davidson and Sky's political editor Beth Rigby  every Friday for a new episode.

Jess said: "Those of us who are the highest security risk, of which I am one of 10, they really ramped up our security on these occasions, as they always do in these moments.

"And Priti Patel [who at the time was home secretary] was really good friends with David Amess.

"I mean she was his [constituency] neighbour. And every Sunday night for four weeks, at about 9pm at night, she would ring me and ask if I was all right. 

"You don't forget that sort of thing."

Sir David was killed during a constituency surgery in Leigh-on-Sea, Essex in 2021.

The issue of MPs' safety sits firmly in the spotlight after pro-Palestinian protesters held a demonstration outside the home of Bournemouth East MP Tobias Ellwood last week.

It has also been central to the fallout over chaos in the Commons on Wednesday, which resulted in dozens of MPs signing a motion of no confidence in the Speaker (see post at 13.49).

You can listen to more from Jess, Ruth and Beth in the special teaser episode of  Electoral Dysfunction here :

They explain what the title is all about and what they'll be trying to do on every episode.

And, they get down to the nitty-gritty of examining leaders and their policies - digging deep into what Conservatives might think of their future.

Email Beth, Ruth, and Jess at  [email protected]

👉 Listen above then tap here to follow Electoral Dysfunction wherever you get your podcasts 👈

There are now 69 MPs who have signed a motion of no confidence in Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle (see previous post).

Here's the full list of Conservatives:

  • William Wragg
  • Gary Sambrook
  • Jill Mortimer
  • John Stevenson
  • Kieran Mullan
  • Anthony Mangnall
  • James Duddridge
  • Chris Green
  • Bob Blackman
  • Tom Randall
  • Jonathan Lord
  • Karl McCartney
  • Derek Thomas
  • Jack Brereton
  • James Grundy
  • Brendan Clarke-Smith
  • Lee Anderson
  • Graham Brady
  • Eddie Hughes
  • Geoffrey Clifton-Brown
  • Marco Longhi
  • Simon Baynes
  • Shaun Bailey
  • Matt Warman
  • Steve Double
  • Danny Kruger
  • Miriam Cates
  • Robert Goodwill
  • Jonathan Gullis
  • Kelly Tolhurst
  • Paul Howell
  • Andrew Lewer
  • Mark Eastwood

And from the SNP:

  • David Linden
  • Stewart Malcolm McDonald
  • John McNally
  • Gavin Newlands
  • Pete Wishart
  • Patricia Gibson
  • Joanna Cherry
  • Alison Thewliss
  • Anum Qaisar
  • Douglas Chapman
  • Carol Monaghan
  • Drew Hendry
  • Anne McLaughlin
  • John Nicolson
  • Kirsty Blackman
  • Ronnie Cowan
  • Dave Doogan
  • Amy Callaghan
  • Brendan O'Hara
  • Stephen Flynn
  • Mhairi Black
  • Richard Thomson
  • Kirsten Oswald
  • Allan Dorans
  • Marion Fellows

Independent:

  • Rob Roberts

There is also one withdrawn signature, from Conservative MP Philip Dunne.

A total of 69 MPs have now signed a motion of no-confidence in Sir Lindsay Hoyle.

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Aleksei Navalny is seen in silhouette, standing outdoors on a stage addressing a small rally.

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Aleksei A. Navalny, the outspoken activist who died in prison on Friday, was born on June 4, 1976, according to his website, and grew up outside Moscow to liberal parents who opposed Soviet rule.

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Here’s a look at Mr. Navalny’s career:

Mr. Navalny, who had studied law and finance and worked as a real estate lawyer, joined the liberal Yabloko party the same year that Vladimir V. Putin was first elected president of Russia. Looking to organize grass-roots opposition to the Kremlin, he took aim at what he called lawless Moscow construction projects, moderated political debates, started a radio show and criticized pro-Putin tycoons on a widely read blog.

Mr. Navalny led protests of thousands of Russians who were outraged over reports of fraud in Russia’s parliamentary elections that year, drawing the largest anti-Kremlin demonstrations since Mr. Putin became president.

He ran for mayor of Moscow , capturing 27 percent of the vote.

Mr. Navalny was barred from a presidential run after a Russian court convicted him on fraud charges. He organized nationwide protests and boycotts against Mr. Putin’s re-election and built up offices and investigative teams across the country to investigate Russia’s elite.

The Russian authorities responded by jailing him, accusing him of money laundering and raiding the homes and offices of activists with whom he was affiliated.

August 2020

While flying back to Moscow from Siberia, Mr. Navalny fell violently ill, forcing the plane to make an emergency landing. More than two days after he lost consciousness, Mr. Navalny was flown to Germany for treatment, after the flight was delayed by Russian doctors who blocked his transfer.

Weeks later, the German government said that Mr. Navalny had been poisoned with a military-grade nerve agent called Novichok , a class of chemical weapon developed by the Soviet Union. A similar weapon had been used in 2018 against Sergei V. Skripal , a former Soviet spy, and his daughter in an attack in England that the British government attributed to Russian military intelligence .

December 2020

Bellingcat, an open-source investigative outlet, published a report showing that Russian intelligence officers from the Federal Security Service, or F.S.B., had trailed Mr. Navalny for years and were close by when he was exposed to Novichok. The Kremlin continued to deny any involvement in his poisoning.

Days later, Mr. Navalny posted a video on his YouTube channel that he said showed him calling a Russian intelligence officer and tricking him into confessing to a plot to kill Mr. Navalny by planting poison on his underwear.

January 2021

Five months after he was poisoned, Mr. Navalny flew back to Moscow and was arrested upon arrival. Tens of thousands of protesters , mostly young Russians, took to the streets to demand his release in the biggest public showdown in years between the Kremlin and its critics.

Two months later, the Russian authorities ordered Mr. Navalny to serve a two-year prison sentence in a penal colony known for its abusive treatment of inmates, beginning a string of prison terms for charges that his supporters said were based on fabricated charges. He went on a weekslong hunger strike to protest the prison’s lack of proper medical treatment, causing his health to deteriorate.

January 2022

“ Navalny ,” a documentary following the activist for months as he investigated his own poisoning, premiered at the Sundance Film Festival. The film, by Canadian director Daniel Roher, received the Academy Award for best documentary feature the following year. Yulia Navalnaya, Mr. Navalny’s wife, said onstage at the ceremony that her husband had been imprisoned for “telling the truth” and “defending democracy.”

August 2023

A Russian court sentenced Mr. Navalny, who was still in prison, to an additional 19 years on charges of supporting “extremism.” The court ruled that the sentence was to be served concurrently with his existing ones, meaning he would probably have been locked up until 2031.

December 2023

Mr. Navalny’s aides lost contact with him for 20 days. Finally, his spokeswoman said he had been found — the authorities had moved him to a Arctic penal colony officially known as IK-3 Polar Wolf, located in one of the most remote towns of Russia and known for its harsh conditions.

He was last seen publicly on Thursday, when he appeared in via video link in a court hearing, standing in a prison cage and wearing a black robe.

The following day, the Russian authorities reported that he had lost consciousness and died after taking a walk at the prison.

Mr. Navalny’s spokeswoman confirmed his death, saying that his mother had gone to the penal colony where he had been held and been told that Russian investigators had transferred Mr. Navalny’s body to the Arctic town of Salekhard.

Gaya Gupta is a reporting fellow on the Live team at The Times. More about Gaya Gupta

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