Among the many ways Americans can participate in politics, voting is considered one of the most common and important ways Americans can participate in politics. involve. The outcome of any election, especially at the national level, determines who will make and enforce the laws that all Americans must follow. With this in mind, one might assume that all Americans are active voters, but studies show that voter turnout is actually surprisingly low. Given this worrying trend, it is important to know what the statistics say about voter turnout, as well as the four main factors that influence turnout: socio-economic status, education, political environment and laws state elections, to help increase participation in future elections. According to a study by Nonprofit Vote, only “approximately 58.7% of eligible voters turned out to vote” (“turnout rate”) in the 2012 presidential election, which is lower than the 62% reached in 2008. (Ginsberg 306). According to the United States Census Bureau, in 2012, 71.2% of Americans reported that they were registered to vote, but only 61.8% reported that they actually did so. (“Voting and Registration”). Although not every source reports the exact same statistics in the United States, these percentages are considered high when it comes to political participation. Worse still, during midterm elections, turnout is normally closer to 33% and even lower for local elections. (Ginsberg 306). While we can consider any of these statistics good for America, when we consider the world's democracies lagging far behind, in many "European and other Western democracies, [the] voter turnout rate The national electoral vote is generally between 70 and 90 percent. » (Ginsberg 306). The question then arises as to why Americans don't vote, which is then a... middle of paper ...... uh to understand why voter turnout is so low. As a society, we need to take all of these into consideration and find ways to promote higher participation rates, whether through social reform programs aimed at improving the socio-economic status of citizens, education, better political environments at the family and community level, or fewer restrictions on participation. vote. For our society to function effectively and efficiently, we must participate in our democratic system at higher percentages than an average participation of around 40 percent. Works Cited Ginsberg, Benjamin et al. We the People: An Introduction to American Politics. 9th ed. New York, NY: WW Norton & Company, Inc., 2013. “Voter Participation” Print. Nonprofit Voting. Nonprofit Voting, and Web. November 27, 2013. “Voting and Registration.” United States Census Bureau. United States Census Bureau, May 8, 2013. Web. November 27. 2013.