I think the reason why don’t everyone vote is because people don’t think that their vote have power to change something, and because they don’t understand the election and don’t have enough knowledges about politics. They might think that their opinion is minority and cannot understand others, because especially in Japan, people tend to agree with major opinion. This tendency makes them to feel that their vote doesn’t matter, like Damon N said. And also, politics seems like a little bit difficult for young people , because there are many terms that are difficult to understand. This also make people especially the young less interest in election.

So,, I think that educating about politics from elementary or junior high with easy words is good for young people to understand the importance of election and also how important to have their own opinion is and the election is.

My belief is that there are many voters out there who sympathize with the viewpoints of my parents - a primary issue that Americans, and people around the world must address, is encouraging minority groups to participate in elections. While this may not be a prevalent issue in every country around the world, the truth of globalization is that there will be much larger minority groups present in areas around the world which were formerly ethnically homogenous. Another way that we must address voting in the US is facing the issue of the electoral college system. By moving to a popular vote system, or even a divided electoral vote system like Nebraska or Maine, we can move towards a system where each single vote is much more valued, rather than the specific demographics of an area over shining a larger majority. 

I also think that in the US, it’s time to look to other countries around the world and possibly consider adopting a multiple party system. While in theory, the US does maintain numerous political parties, the fact of the matter is that these groups are largely ignored and we might as well practice a 2 party system. In places like the EU and other locations around the world, their governments run off of a varied political party system. In places like Germany, the largest political party has about 30% of the population’s support. By switching to a multiple party system, many people might be more encouraged to vote because they feel that their needs are better represented, and they can choose what works best for them, instead of settling for the “lesser of two evils”. In addition, a multiple party system can also encourage more cooperation between political units - the Democratic and Republican parties within the US have fallen into a pattern of solely attempting to override the other, instead of trying to foster compromise. In a multiple party system, no single group could dominate in this manner, and compromise would be a necessity in maintaining order throughout the government. However, I’m uncertain of how we could even bring about such a multiple party system in the first place...

Thank you for reading and please let me know what you think! 

Another reason that the 33.1% of people neglected to vote is because they supported neither candidate, and believed that neither person was ideal as a President. Due to their doubt of the effectiveness the candidates would hold while leading the country, they chose not to vote.

I think simplifying the voting process and making it so that everyone can easily be eligible to cast their vote will increase the number of participants casting their ballots. I agree with Addy that Election day and even maybe the week should be considered a national holiday so that everyone has the time and opportunity to vote by having a day off. Education is also certainly crucial and I believe that if everyone was better informed upon the importance of voting in elections many more would engage in the voting process. I believe that many individuals in society are unaware of the large impacts Presidential candidates will have on everyday life, and the importance of electing a President who will improve the country. This education will also cause people to engage more in politics and be more passionate about their outcomes.

I'm so excited to hear your ideas!

Another reason as to why there was a 33.1% non-voter turnout is because the voter system disproportionately impacts minority groups and this can range from various ID restrictions, distance in regards to polling locations, and language barriers. Several people ranging from seniors and people of color do not have proper identification, either because the process of getting one can take weeks and prices can be costly. As we saw during the election, very few decided to walk miles from their home just to vote but the majority didn’t and of course, transportation issues were present in addition to the health concerns of riding publicly. Language barriers, I think, are significant as many people whose native language is not English are not likely to vote because they are not understanding what each candidate is like or what they believe in. And as Emma said, voting is difficult to the extent that minorities who tend to work longer hours cannot prioritize it over sustaining their lives. 

Voter turnout can be improved if people had the means to educate themselves on who their candidates are, and if the voting system was a lot simpler than it is now. There should be repeated contact and reminding people to vote in the case that they have busy lives and may forget in favor of their work. In terms of language barriers, there should be more access to translators who can properly relay the candidates’ intentions and help those who are filling out their ballots. From these, I think that there will be an increase to access of voter information and also encourage people to understand who they want to vote for.