Voting: Not just a right, but a privilege

  • Published
  • By Maj. Michael Sweetland
  • 91st Operations Group, base installation voting assistance officer
MINOT AIR FORCE BASE, N.D. --  One of the earliest forms of democracy can be traced back to Ancient Greece; the year 508 B.C. to be exact. The Greeks held a "negative" election -- voters were asked to cast a vote for the politician they most wanted to exile for ten years. Only male landowners were allowed to vote in these elections.

Fast-forward 18 centuries to medieval Venice. Venetians cast one vote for every candidate they found acceptable and none for those whom they deemed unacceptable. The winner was the person who was acceptable to the largest number of voters.

Obviously the voting process has changed over the years. Voting in the United States is no different. In our early years, only white, male landowners over the age of 21 were allowed to vote. Many changes have since taken place:

· In 1830, many states no longer required property ownership and a specific religion as voting requirements. This increased the number of voters and led to the development of political parties.
· Following the Civil War, the 14th and 15th Amendments recognized African-Americans as citizens and gave them the right to vote.
· Wyoming was the first state to recognize a woman's right to vote in 1890. The rest of the country did not follow until 1920 with the passage of the 19th Amendment.
· In 1940, Congress recognized Native Americans as citizens, but they were not given the right to vote in all states until 1947.
· In 1971, the voting age was lowered from age 21 to 18.

A lot of blood, sweat and tears were shed to allow these positive changes to take place in our country. People devoted, and sometimes sacrificed, their lives for the right to have a say in our electoral process.

It's amazing how after all the years, with all the struggle and progress, how few people take advantage of their right to vote. In the 2000 presidential election, only 55 percent of eligible voters actually took the time to cast their vote. 2004 was somewhat better, but still only 61 percent of those eligible voted. Believe it or not, those are high numbers compared with non-presidential election years. In the U.S., only 41.3 percent of eligible voters cast a ballot in 2006. Minnesota ranked the highest with a 61.3 percent turnout; Louisiana the lowest with only 31.9 percent.

Our country will hold a major election in a little more than two months. During that general election, 33 states will elect new U.S. Senators; all 440 members of the House of Representatives and 13 state governors will be chosen and a new president will take over the White House. The 2008 November election is coming up quickly, but there is still time to take part. How? Everyone should contact a unit voting assistance officer today to ensure they are registered. It's fast, it's free and it's our duty as Americans...voting is not just a right -- it's a privilege.