Why do we let ignorant people vote? This question, often asked during presidential election periods, brings to light that we have an issue with the voting public. Simply put Americans can not be bothered to vote. The public feels that they are too busy, or even feel as if their vote doesn't matter. Perhaps the most shocking statistic is the incredibly low younger voting statistic; these young voters often say they don't vote because they simply don't feel as if their vote matters. The only fix for our catastrophic voting system is to enact term limits. By putting term limits in place we will engage the younger voters, eradicate people voting mindlessly for the incumbent, and help inform the general public. 

The first thing to look at when voting is the future, the younger generation. The younger generation, despite being far and away the most informed, vote the least of any. So why is this? Simply put, people don't want to vote  --  the untellable truth in this country is that Americans just can't be bothered to vote. Besides those who don't want to vote because they simply do not have time or it is inconvenient, its also common area these days to simply not vote because of a strong distaste for what there is to vote for. This idea, that people would simply rather not vote at all, than vote for the trash that we elect into politics. The American public's congressional approval rating is at 16% the lowest in history, and yet our congressional incumbent reelection rating is above 90%. We daily talk down what the government accomplishes, and how awful congress is  --  and yet we re elect these people we hate at a rate higher than in the past. This fact only shows that the American voting system needs a change. 

The truth about the voting public is that they are simply uninformed. The people who vote, which is already at a lower number than ever before in history, just don't know what they are voting for. Its hard in our system of democracy when approximately 40% of your voting pool is not voting in any given election. They say simply that there is no candidate worth voting for, or more often they are just uninformed. The recent national survey found that approximately 40% voters could not name the current vice president. The same study also found that 38% of the country could not tell you who controlled congress. This very topic brings up the overarching question about when exactly does a democracy fail? Why do we allow people who are incredibly uninformed to vote for matters that greatly affect them? These people often vote among a party line they know is popular, or have learned from past family.

This topic is not completely discussed without attempting a solution. The solution best to solve each aspect of this long run issue is to enact Term limits. If we as a country enact Term limits of approximately 6 years in congress it would drastically change how the country works. By setting a limit on how long congressmen can serve it increases the amount of elections, and more importantly, their weight. A continued supply of fresh political candidates and congressman will increase the flow of ideas, as well as publicity surrounding each election. The younger voters, whom have always believed they are simply not important enough to affect the voting process, will now have a much higher say in politics. 

Things have to change, I have said it before and I will say it again. We as a society have had an overarching issue within the voting pubic, and that is simply that people aren't voting  --  and those who are voting, are uninformed. The statistics tell the horrible truth that is our congress, approval ratings the lowest they've ever been, and yet incumbent reelection is as high as ever. How can we continue to criticize and pick political parties when in fact almost half of eligible voters voted in the midterm election. The only true and real solution to this issue is enacting term limits. Term limits will increase the younger generations voter turnout, increase the information available to the public, and will motivate the public to eradicate the understood truth that it isn't a big deal to not vote. 
