In the Nov. 1 edition the Mount Vernon Gazette there was an article titled, “Why Aren’t More People Voting?” by Del. Paul Krizek. In the article Mr. Krizek states that Virginia must set an example in the area of voting rights. Indeed, it is important to set an example just not for the United States, but for other countries where people are discriminated against when trying to go to the polls. While I believe that Mr. Krizek is correct in stressing voting laws to allow ex-cons and early voting, I think he may have missed other key issues with voting.
People may feel that they are uninformed or misinformed, even, on the candidates and the key issues at hand, and thus they may feel that they can’t make an educated decision. Others may incorrectly assume and believe that their vote can’t influence the outcome, or worse off may just feel no obligation to vote at all. There could also be individuals who don’t think the system is working and just refuse to participate.
These and other issues contribute to why people don’t vote, and I was curious as to why these were not at least mentioned in the article.
While I do believe legislation is a step in the right direction to solve this situation, I caution Mr. Krizek and others from being too invested in just that and not examining the other issues at hand.
Colin Wong
Alexandria