Voting is a prized American right and has been a topic of debate since the country's earliest days. Yet in the 2016 presidential election, about 40 percent of Americans--and half of young adults--didn't vote. Why is voter turnout so low, and what can we do about it? The problem, Erin Geiger Smith contents, is a lack of understanding about how our electoral system works and too little appreciation for the power of voting. To inspire action, Thank You for Voting looks at the voting process from the Framers' perspective on through the Voting Rights Act and into the present. Geiger Smith examines vital issues, such as how different groups to the right to vote, state prohibitions against felons voting, charges of fraud and suppression, and new methods to increase voter registration. She explains topics that confuse even the most informed voters: polling, news literacy, gerrymandering, and the Electoral College. And she explores how age, race, and socioeconomic factors influence turnout. Ultimately, Thank You for Voting offers hope. Geiger Smith describes simple actions individuals can take to increase civic participation in all elections, and she reveals how innovative get-out-the-vote movements energize first-time voters. Informative and empowering, Thank You for Voting is an essential call to the polls.
adult
Erin Geiger Smith.
Includes index.
