 DOES
ONE VOTE REALLY COUNT?
By Jack Etzel
An interview with Arlene Levy,
The League of Women Voters of Pittsburgh
Arlene Levy
To gain a perspective on how important – or unimportant – one vote
is in any election, North Hills Monthly Magazine sought the knowledge
of the League of Women Voters of Pittsburgh. The League of Women
Voters is a nonpartisan political organization that encourages
informed and active participation in government at all levels. One
particular member of that organization has a wealth of expertise on
that subject as well as the history of this country. Among the
directors of the League of Women Voters in Pittsburgh is retired North
Allegheny School District history teacher, Arlene Levy. North Hills
Monthly Magazine: The excuse we often hear from someone who doesn’t
vote is, “My one vote isn’t going to make any difference.” Arlene
Levy: It counts in terms of the outcome of the election, and it also
counts in terms of whether your voice is heard in the electoral
process. I think that what you’re asking is “Should I vote?” I think
that it’s essential that you vote. We live in a country that has a
republican form of government, and this government is basically
representative. We elect our government officials to make decisions
for us. So, if you don’t vote you will have no voice in what decisions
are made. And, when talking about voting we’re not just referring to
national elections, but just as importantly about state and local
elections, because the individuals who will get elected on those
ballots impact our lives as well. NHMM: But, in the end, it really
is only one vote.
Levy: Let’s say you’re upset about what the government is doing, at
any level. You may get involved in the electoral process, and do more
than cast your one vote on Election Day. You may try to influence
other people as well. You may pass out flyers, talk to your friends
and neighbors, make telephone calls, or volunteer at campaign
headquarters. There are so many things you can do. NHMM: That sounds
like if you communicate with enough people, you might feel as if
you’re getting more than one vote.
Levy: Absolutely. Years ago, when I first starting teaching a Current
Issues course, I began with a unit on Mass Communications, to find out
what the impact of communications really is on the individual. We
learned that the ads you see or hear are not all that influential when
you’re trying to change voters’ minds, as much as a conversation is
with someone you trust. That could just be a friend, perhaps someone
with a different view, but someone with whom you have a mutual trust.
NHMM: Why do we have such small turnouts for elections in this
country? Or, do we really want everyone to vote?
Levy: Those are two good questions. As to why we have such a poor
turnout it is likely because the people trust the system. Very high
turnouts often occur in countries where there is a lot of upheaval.
When people feel relatively safe, if they feel confident in their
government, they tend to become blasé, perhaps, and therefore are less
likely to vote.
You asked if everyone should vote. There are differences of opinions
on that one. Some people say that if people don’t vote it’s probably
because they aren’t interested, or don’t know what’s going on, so they
wouldn’t make an informed decision anyway. There’s another side that
says those people might just not be aware of how to go through the
process of registering and later may not know where to find their
polling place. Those people may go to the web site for the League of
Women Voters, or have someone do that for them, which is VOTE411.org
for any election or voting information, including finding out where
their polling place is. It’s not unusual for a polling location to be
moved because of construction or many other reasons, even if has been
in the same place for decades. It’s a good idea for all voters to
check the location of their polling place ahead of time. NHMM: Why
is there a low turnout among the youngest of possible voters?
Levy: That issue depends on what age does a person feel that he or she
has a stake in the society. We now have the situation where
eighteen-years-olds have the right to vote, but do they feel that they
have that stake in the society yet? In many cases, they don’t.
Eighteen-year-olds got the right to vote more than thirty years ago
when we had soldiers fighting in Vietnam, and it was said that they
were risking their lives for their country, but the country was not
giving them a voice in governmental decisions.
In more recent years we’ve been registering students at their
colleges, and this has become more and more common to do. This year in
particular there’s a strong push to have many more young people
registered not only at colleges, but at home, or at work, or wherever
they are. NHMM: Is there any final tip you have for voters going to
the polls this month?
Levy: You can avoid the crowds by going to the polls during off hours,
if you can. Try between 10 to 11:30 a.m. or between 1:30 and 3:30 p.m.
It’s likely to be less crowded.
Note: When visiting VOTE411.org have your voter’s registration card
ready. |
