Since the Presidential Election of 1789, United States (US) citizens have elected presidents not by a direct election but through an indirect system known as the Electoral College. However, because the US Constitution does not specify who can vote, voting has not always been guaranteed to all citizens over 18. Notwithstanding Enlightenment ideas on natural rights, for centuries, voting was a privilege few possessed, according to education.nationalgeographic.org. Today, while every US citizen over 18 can vote in the 2024 Presidential Election, Americans question whether every vote matters, as some votes seem to carry more weight than others, according to electoralcollegereform.weebly.com. Despite the imperfections of the Electoral College system, every US citizen should exercise their right to vote in order to establish a federal government that progresses not recedes. Indeed, for a democratic republic to function properly, every eligible individual must carry out their civic obligation.
For the first 80 years that the US was a nation, only white men had the privilege of voting. It was not until after the US Civil War that Congress granted African American men the right to vote through the 14th Amendment, according to loc.gov. In addition, the US government did not grant women the right to vote until just over 100 years ago in 1920 when Congress passed the 19th Amendment, according to archives.gov. Truly, in accordance with Enlightenment thought that all humans have civil liberties, voting should be a right not a privilege. However, this was not the historical reality in the US. Thus, voting today honors those who fought for suffrage in an unjust and unequal world. Evidently, not voting dishonors the legacy of freedom fighters and impedes the fight toward progress. Mrs. Jillian Bozzi, Upper School History Teacher, reflected on why voting is essential because it commemorates the radical individuals who pursued the dream of a better world.
“Voting is the direct result of the fight towards equality,” Mrs. Bozzi said. “When the 19th Amendment was ratified in 1920, it allowed women to be recognized as participants in our democracy. I believe it is essential for women to vote in order to honor and pay tribute to those, like Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton, and what they risked and sacrificed for us to become active participants in our government. I feel like sometimes this right may be taken for granted, and it is important to remember that it was only just over 100 years ago that these brave women implemented change in our country and opened the doors for other necessary changes in voting to be made.”
Today, while while the US Constitution ensures every citizen the right to vote, there is discrepancy over whether every vote matters. Although in an Electoral College system, the American people do not directly elect the presidential and vice presidential candidates, voting is still a reflection of the democratic principles that founded the US. Nonetheless, the League of Women Voters asserts that this indirect system of voting is unjust when a candidate wins the popular vote and not the Electoral College, according to lwv.org. For example, in the 2000 Presidential Election, Vice President Al Gore won the popular vote nationwide against Governor George Walker Bush, but not the Electoral College, according to history.com. Again, in the 2016 Presidential Election, Senator Hillary Clinton lost the Electoral College against Mr. Donald Trump, but won the popular vote, according to CNN. While the Electoral College does not always represent the interests of the majority of people, it is the sole way to elect a president in the US, and thus, the one of the only ways to initiate federal change as a citizen.
Despite the flaws of the Electoral College system, the only way Congress would move toward a popular vote would be if the majority of the people believe this change is necessary. For this reason, it is crucial to vote in order to advocate for federal principles that the government should amend. Mr. Vincent Badagliacca, History Department Chair and Upper School History Teacher, emphasized the significance of voting both historically and in modern times.
“As our great experiment has evolved, it has expanded to include more and more citizens,” Mr. Badagliacca said. “While the Declaration of Independence, and later our beloved Constitution of 1787, were written by humans, with serious flaws, they are beautiful expressions and templates which have guided us to enhance the experiment of representative democracy. Over time, as all of us know, a large representative democracy will not always give us what we believe should be the correct policies. Still, we can never withdraw from our duty. When we do so, we take our system and our God-give liberty for granted and we risk losing that liberty”
Undoubtedly, the Electoral College system can have detrimental effects on voter turnout. Essentially, many US citizens believe that their vote does not matter as it is just another insignificant number added to the negligible popular vote, according to lwv.org. In actuality, the only way to change this system would be through a Constitutional Amendment. That would require the advocacy of the US people. Thus, voting, even if indirectly, is how to promote needed change.
In an Electoral College system, whichever candidate has the majority of votes in a state gets all that state’s electoral college votes. Indeed, it is a “winner takes all” system in 48 of the 50 states. Nebraska and Maine are the exception. These two states distribute their electoral votes, according to education.nationalgeographic.org. In fact, every vote can make a difference in who is the next president, particularly in swing states such as Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin, according to nbcnews.com. A swing states means that the Electoral College votes of that state could swing either for the Democratic candidate or the Republican candidate. For example, in the 2000 Election, Mr. Gore lost by a small margin in Florida, thus losing the Electoral College and the whole election to Mr. Bush. Certainly, in battleground states, its comes down to every single individual vote. Hence, even in an flawed voting system, each vote can have influence. As a result, Americans must vote as a way to honor their civic obligation and select who they think reflects the best policies that lead toward progress.
Mr. Badagliacca reflected on why every US citizen should vote in order for a democratic republic to function properly. Additionally, he stressed the serious responsibility of voting in a large and powerful nation.
“All should vote as it is crucial to the health of our system,” Mr. Badagliacca said. “However, informed citizenship is at the heart of that responsibility and, therefore, it is the solemn duty of every citizen to be educated, selfless, courageous, and committed to the health of our nation by knowing their representatives, what they stand for, and how they will govern to represent all of the people to the best of their ability.”
Because a shift from the Electoral College system is not plausible in the current election, it is essential to vote even if through this system. Consequently, voters must stay informed on presidential candidates and abide to their civic obligation in order to foster change throughout the nation. Truly, it is through voting that the legacy of suffragist fighters continue and that democracy functions. Ultimately, “[w]e the people” are advocates for change in a democratic republic established on Enlightenment ideals, and “[w]e the people” must vote in order to progress towards a fairer and more equal world.
Featured Image by Emily Shull ’25
