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Why people are choosing not to vote

MUNCIE, Ind.(NewsLink) -- With the upcoming election, many questions are being asked, including whether or not people are planning on voting. According to the Census Bureau, only 61.4% of the US population voted in 2016.

Many people have different reasons for not voting in the election from not having enough time or simply not feeling educated enough.

“I have just not paid enough attention to politics to put in my input on who to vote so I think I am making the right choice by not voting," Ball State student Jaelyn Cruzen said about his reasoning for not voting.

Many people said they felt as though their vote doesn't matter in the grand scheme of things and will not have a great impact on the government election. A Pew Research Study found that nearly half of its participants did not research the election for this reason.

Chad Kinsella, Ball State professor of political science, stated that “The value and kind of measuring the chance of your vote can break a tie in a presidential election may not be so much but when you really think about it down at county and district election there are going to be a lot of close elections.”

Voter turnout is the lowest among the young voter demographic. According to the Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement, only half of the youth population is actively voting.

Kinsella said that there are a few reasons why the youth turnout is on the lower end.

“You have college, work and you want to have fun. There's a lot going on and I remember that point in my life there was a lot going on. I think also Home at this point in your life is a little bit more nebulous than maybe it's ever been.”

This year an estimated 9 million people have voted early in the 2020 election with an above average expected voter turnout.

For any comments or concerns, contact the author at bmmorton@bsu.edu