essay on importance of voting in democracy

Essay on Importance of Voting in Democracy

Students are often asked to write an essay on Importance of Voting in Democracy in their schools and colleges. And if you’re also looking for the same, we have created 100-word, 250-word, and 500-word essays on the topic.

Let’s take a look…

100 Words Essay on Importance of Voting in Democracy

The essence of democracy.

Voting is the cornerstone of a democracy. It’s the tool that allows citizens to choose their leaders and voice their opinions on important issues.

Why Voting Matters

By voting, you get to influence the society you live in. It’s a way to ensure that your interests are represented in government.

The Power of Each Vote

Every vote counts. In many cases, elections have been decided by just a few votes. Therefore, your vote can make a real difference.

In summary, voting is a crucial component of democracy. So, always exercise your right to vote!

250 Words Essay on Importance of Voting in Democracy

Democracy is often defined as ‘government of the people, by the people, for the people.’ It is a system that bestows power in the hands of the citizens to choose their representatives. The cornerstone of this power lies in the act of voting.

The Role of Voting

Voting is not just a right, but a duty and a moral responsibility. It is the most direct and effective way of participating in the democratic process. The vote of every citizen contributes to the formation of a government and the trajectory of the nation.

Empowering the Masses

Voting gives citizens the power to express their opinion and choose leaders who align with their views. It is a tool to effect change and ensure the government reflects the will of the people. Voting also empowers marginalized groups, providing an equal platform for their voices to be heard.

Accountability and Transparency

Voting ensures accountability and transparency in the democratic system. It acts as a check on the government, reminding them of their responsibility towards the electorate. If the government fails to deliver, voters have the power to change the administration in the next election.

The importance of voting in democracy cannot be overstated. It is the fundamental right and duty of every citizen to participate in this process. It is through voting that we shape our society, influence policies, and ensure the government serves the common good. By voting, we uphold the democratic values of freedom, equality, and justice.

500 Words Essay on Importance of Voting in Democracy

Introduction.

Democracy is a system of governance where citizens participate directly or indirectly in the decision-making process. At the heart of this system lies the act of voting, an essential tool through which citizens express their will, choose their leaders, and influence public policy. The importance of voting in a democratic society cannot be overstated as it forms the basis for the exercise of political and civil rights.

The Pillar of Democratic Governance

Voting is a fundamental pillar of democratic governance. It is the mechanism through which citizens exercise their sovereignty and control over the government. By voting, citizens choose their representatives who will make laws, shape public policy, and steer the direction of the nation. This process ensures that the government is accountable to the people, and not the other way round. The act of voting is, therefore, a powerful expression of political freedom and self-determination.

Instrument for Social Change

Voting is not only a political act but also a tool for social change. It gives citizens the power to influence public policy and the direction of societal evolution. Through the ballot box, citizens can express their views on critical issues such as education, health, economy, and social justice. Voting, therefore, serves as a peaceful means of effecting change and shaping the society we want to live in.

Equality and Inclusivity

In a democracy, voting underscores the principle of equality. Regardless of social, economic, or cultural backgrounds, every citizen has an equal vote. This inclusivity strengthens social cohesion and fosters a sense of belonging among citizens. Moreover, it ensures that marginalized and underrepresented groups have a voice in the political process, thereby promoting social equity.

Responsibility of Citizenship

Voting is not just a right; it is a responsibility. By participating in elections, citizens contribute to the democratic process and the overall health of the political system. Abstaining from voting leads to a skewed representation, which may not reflect the true will of the people. Therefore, every vote counts, and each citizen ought to take this responsibility seriously.

In conclusion, the act of voting is a cornerstone of democracy, serving as a tool for change, a symbol of equality, and a responsibility of citizenship. It gives power to the people, ensuring that the government remains accountable and responsive to their needs. Hence, for a democracy to be truly representative and effective, it is essential that citizens understand the importance of voting and actively participate in the electoral process. The future of our democratic society depends on the collective action of informed and engaged citizens.

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Why Voting Is Important

“Voting is your civic duty.” This is a pretty common sentiment, especially each November as Election Day approaches. But what does it really mean? And what does it mean for Americans in particular?

Social Studies, Civics, U.S. History

Americans Voting

Typically in the United States, national elections draw large numbers of voters compared to local elections.

Hill Street Studios

A History of Voting in the United States Today, most American citizens over the age of 18 are entitled to vote in federal and state elections , but voting was not always a default right for all Americans. The United States Constitution, as originally written, did not define specifically who could or could not vote—but it did establish how the new country would vote. Article 1 of the Constitution determined that members of the Senate and House of Representatives would both be elected directly by popular vote . The president, however, would be elected not by direct vote, but rather by the Electoral College . The Electoral College assigns a number of representative votes per state, typically based on the state’s population. This indirect election method was seen as a balance between the popular vote and using a state’s representatives in Congress to elect a president. Because the Constitution did not specifically say who could vote, this question was largely left to the states into the 1800s. In most cases, landowning white men were eligible to vote, while white women, black people, and other disadvantaged groups of the time were excluded from voting (known as disenfranchisement ).

While no longer explicitly excluded, voter suppression is a problem in many parts of the country. Some politicians try to win re election by making it harder for certain populations and demographics to vote. These politicians may use strategies such as reducing polling locations in predominantly African American or Lantinx neighborhoods, or only having polling stations open during business hours, when many disenfranchised populations are working and unable to take time off. It was not until the 15th Amendment was passed in 1869 that black men were allowed to vote. But even so, many would-be voters faced artificial hurdles like poll taxes , literacy tests, and other measures meant to discourage them from exercising their voting right. This would continue until the 24th Amendment in 1964, which eliminated the poll tax , and the Voting Rights Act of 1965, which ended Jim Crow laws. Women were denied the right to vote until 1920, when the long efforts of the women’s suffrage movement resulted in the 19th Amendment. With these amendments removing the previous barriers to voting (particularly sex and race), theoretically all American citizens over the age of 21 could vote by the mid 1960s. Later, in 1971, the American voting age was lowered to 18, building on the idea that if a person was old enough to serve their country in the military, they should be allowed to vote. With these constitutional amendments and legislation like the Voting Rights Act of 1965, the struggle for widespread voting rights evolved from the Founding Fathers’ era to the late 20th century. Why Your Vote Matters If you ever think that just one vote in a sea of millions cannot make much of a difference, consider some of the closest elections in U.S. history. In 2000, Al Gore narrowly lost the Electoral College vote to George W. Bush. The election came down to a recount in Florida, where Bush had won the popular vote by such a small margin that it triggered an automatic recount and a Supreme Court case ( Bush v. Gore ). In the end, Bush won Florida by 0.009 percent of the votes cast in the state, or 537 votes. Had 600 more pro-Gore voters gone to the polls in Florida that November, there may have been an entirely different president from 2000–2008. More recently, Donald Trump defeated Hillary Clinton in 2016 by securing a close Electoral College win. Although the election did not come down to a handful of votes in one state, Trump’s votes in the Electoral College decided a tight race. Clinton had won the national popular vote by nearly three million votes, but the concentration of Trump voters in key districts in “swing” states like Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, and Michigan helped seal enough electoral votes to win the presidency. Your vote may not directly elect the president, but if your vote joins enough others in your voting district or county, your vote undoubtedly matters when it comes to electoral results. Most states have a “winner take all” system where the popular vote winner gets the state’s electoral votes. There are also local and state elections to consider. While presidential or other national elections usually get a significant voter turnout, local elections are typically decided by a much smaller group of voters. A Portland State University study found that fewer than 15 percent of eligible voters were turning out to vote for mayors, council members, and other local offices. Low turnout means that important local issues are determined by a limited group of voters, making a single vote even more statistically meaningful. How You Can Make Your Voice Heard If you are not yet 18, or are not a U.S. citizen, you can still participate in the election process. You may not be able to walk into a voting booth, but there are things you can do to get involved:

• Be informed! Read up on political issues (both local and national) and figure out where you stand.
• Get out and talk to people. Even if you cannot vote, you can still voice opinions on social media, in your school or local newspaper, or other public forums. You never know who might be listening.
• Volunteer. If you support a particular candidate, you can work on their campaign by participating in phone banks, doing door-to-door outreach, writing postcards, or volunteering at campaign headquarters. Your work can help get candidates elected, even if you are not able to vote yourself.

Participating in elections is one of the key freedoms of American life. Many people in countries around the world do not have the same freedom, nor did many Americans in centuries past. No matter what you believe or whom you support, it is important to exercise your rights.

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Related Resources

Lift Every Voice: The Urgency of Universal Civic Duty Voting

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July 20, 2020

• 16 min read

The following is the preamble to “Lift Every Voice: The Urgency of Universal Civic Duty Voting,” a report from the Working Group on Universal Voting convened by The Brookings Institution and The Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation at Harvard Kennedy School. Download the full PDF report here.

Imagine an American democracy remade by its citizens in the very image of its promise, a society where the election system is designed to allow citizens to perform their most basic civic duty with ease. Imagine that all could vote without obstruction or suppression. Imagine Americans who now solemnly accept their responsibilities to sit on juries and to defend our country in a time of war taking their obligations to the work of self-government just as seriously. Imagine elections in which 80 percent or more of our people cast their ballots—broad participation in our great democratic undertaking by citizens of every race, heritage and class, by those with strongly-held ideological beliefs, and those with more moderate or less settled views. And imagine how all of this could instill confidence in our capacity for common action.

This report is offered with these aspirations in mind and is rooted in the history of American movements to expand voting rights. Our purpose is to propose universal civic duty voting as an indispensable and transformative step toward full electoral participation. Our nation’s current crisis of governance has focused unprecedented public attention on intolerable inequities and demands that Americans think boldly and consider reforms that until now seemed beyond our reach.

“Our purpose is to propose universal civic duty voting as an indispensable and transformative step toward full electoral participation.”

We see voting as a civic responsibility no less important than jury duty. If every American citizen is required to participate as a matter of civic duty, the representativeness of our elections would increase significantly and those those responsible for organizing elections will be required to resist all efforts at voter suppression and remove barriers to the ballot box. Civic duty voting would necessarily be accompanied by a variety of legislative and administrative changes aimed at making it easier for citizens to meet their obligation to participate in the enterprise of self-rule.

Our intervention reflects a sense of alarm and moral urgency, but also a spirit of hope and patriotism. Members of our working group undertook this work to fight back against legal assaults on voting rights guarantees and the proliferation of new techniques and laws to keep citizens from casting ballots. We did so mindful of the public’s declining trust in our democratic institutions. We joined together to end a vicious cycle in which declining trust breeds citizen withdrawal which, in turn, only further increases the sense of distance between citizens and our governing institutions.

It would, however, be a great mistake to see only negative portents in our current situation. If some states have engaged in voter suppression, others have enhanced voting rights through automatic voter registration, same day voting, increased opportunities for early voting, and mail ballots. These reforms have had a measurable and positive impact on participation—and enjoyed enthusiastic citizen support.

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Our nation’s struggle to realize the fullness of the franchise began in the battles for the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments to the Constitution after the Civil War that constituted our nation’s Second Founding. 1 It continued with the ratification of the 19th Amendment in 1920 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Native Americans were not granted full citizenship until the passage of the Snyder Act in 1924 and were not fully granted voting rights until Utah did so in 1962, the last state to formally guarantee the franchise to indigenous peoples. Nearly a decade later, amidst the Vietnam War in which the youngest Americans were drafted but could not vote, the 26th Amendment extended the franchise to 18-year-olds.

In calling for what has been known as mandatory attendance at the polls (the phrase makes clear that no citizen would be forced to vote for anyone against his or her will), and might now, with the spread of mail voting, be called mandatory participation in elections, we hope to underscore that rights and duties are intimately related. During Reconstruction and the Civil Rights eras, few reforms were more important or more empowering than the right of Black Americans to sit on juries. They demanded that they be included in the pool of those who might be required to sit through trials because their own liberties depended upon being included in the process of judging whether a fellow citizen would be jailed, fined, or set free. In the case of jury service, the right and the duty are one in the same. The same can be said of voting. The franchise, said a voting rights advocate of the Reconstruction era, is “an essential and inseparable part of self-government, and therefore natural and inalienable.” W.E.B. Du Bois saw voting as central to the larger aspiration of being treated as an equal, “a co-worker in the kingdom of culture.” 2

We also believe our proposals would pass constitutional scrutiny. Our report includes a careful and detailed legal analysis because the issue of the constitutionality has regularly arisen in debates over the idea. Knowing that it would face legal challenge if adopted, we examine the constitutional implications of various implementation and enforcement policies at every level of government. Universal civic duty voting, we argue, should survive legal challenges. It is consistent with our Constitution’s guarantees of free speech, robust forms of collective action, and effective government.

“A large majority of Americans share our view that voting is both a right and a duty.”

In the course of our report, we present public opinion data, gathered explicitly for this study by the Democracy Fund + UCLA Nationscape Project. We freely acknowledge that—for now—there is far more opposition than support for the idea of requiring everyone to vote. At the same time, a large majority of Americans share our view that voting is both a right and a duty. Our conclusion from the data is that while nearly two-thirds of Americans oppose mandatory electoral participation, about half the country is at least open to persuasion, a significant opening for a novel concept that has never been advanced in an organized and energetic way. To begin this process, this report seeks to answer legitimate criticisms and practical objections. We propose, for example, that all who have a conscientious objection to voting and all who present any reasonable excuse for not doing so would be exempted from the obligation and any penalty. Voters would be free to return a blank or spoiled ballot, and a ‘None of the Above’ option would also be included.

We also address equity concerns related to penalties. Even small fines could be discriminatory against poor people, and immigrants’ rights activists raise legitimate concerns that inadvertent voting by noncitizens could subject them to unfair penalties. These concerns shaped our recommendations which make clear that the fine for not voting be very small and be set aside for those willing to meet a very modest community service requirement. The fine would be limited to no more than $20, it could not be compounded over time, nor would civil or criminal penalties be imposed for not paying the fine. If the experience in Australia and other nations with versions of compulsory voting can be taken as a guide, most nonvoters would never face a fine. We also detail protections for noncitizens to prevent exploitation of the system by public officials hostile to immigrants.

Our emphasis is not on imposing sanctions but on sending a strong message that voting is a legitimate expectation of citizenship. Nations that have embraced carefully implemented versions of universal civic duty voting have enjoyed dramatic increases in participation. “Compulsory voting makes democracy work better,” concluded Lisa Hill of the University of Adelaide, “enabling it to function as a social activity engaged in by all affected interests, not just a privileged elite.” 3

“Nations that have embraced carefully implemented versions of universal civic duty voting have enjoyed dramatic increases in participation.”

The country’s politics typically places the interests of older Americans over the interests of the younger generations—which, by definition, makes our system less forward-looking. This problem is aggravated by the under-representation of the young in the voting process. Their participation is held down by rules and requirements that are easier for older and more geographically settled Americans to follow and to meet. As part of our proposal to declare that all adults are required to vote, we propose many ideas, beginning with election day registration and an expansion of voting opportunities, that would welcome the young into full participation. Since the economic fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic is placing particular burdens on young Americans, especially those just entering the workforce, their engagement in the democratic project is more vital than ever.

Universal civic duty voting would also help ensure increased political participation in communities of color that have long confronted exclusion from our democracy. With the reforms that would necessarily accompany it, civic duty voting would permanently block voter suppression measures. The reprehensible police killing of George Floyd shocked the conscience of the nation and forced its attention to entrenched racial injustice. Floyd’s death, and those of Rayshard Brooks and Breonna Taylor, called forth large-scale protests around the country against police violence that has long been an enraging fact-of-life in Black neighborhoods. The new movement is demanding a thoroughgoing overhaul of policing but also a larger confrontation with racism. The demand for equal treatment has been reinforced by unequal suffering during a pandemic whose costs to health, life, and economic well-being have been borne disproportionately by communities of color. Voting rights, equal participation, and an end to exclusion from the tables of power are essential not only for securing reform, but also for creating the democratic conditions that would make social change durable. Police brutality, as an expression of systemic racism, is not merely about how Americans are policed but whose voices are heard on policing. Universal voting could amplify long voter-suppressed voices so that long-denied solutions to systemic racism are represented in the voting booth and enacted in legislatures.

“Universal civic duty voting would also help ensure increased political participation in communities of color that have long confronted exclusion from our democracy.”

“Give us the ballot,” Martin Luther King Jr. declared in 1957, “and we will transform the salient misdeeds of bloodthirsty mobs into the calculated good deeds of orderly citizens.” 4 As our nation opens its mind and its heart to forms of social reconstruction that were far removed from the public agenda only months ago, we believe that transformative adjustments to our voting system are now in order.

The new activism points to the need for a renewed civic life, and universal voting would assist in its rebirth. Citizens, political campaigns and civil rights and community organizations could move resources now spent on protecting the right to vote and increasing voter turnout to the task of persuading and educating citizens. Media consultants would no longer have an incentive to drive down the other side’s turnout, which only increases the already powerful forces working to make our campaigns highly negative in character. Candidates would be pushed to appeal beyond their own voter bases. This imperative would raise the political costs of invoking divisive rhetoric and vilifying particular groups. Low turnout is aggravated by the hyper-polarization in our political life that is so widely and routinely denounced. Intense partisans are drawn to the polls while those who are less ideologically committed and less fervent about specific issues are more likely to stay away. Of course, democratic politics will always involve clashes of interests and battles between competing, deeply held worldviews. But by magnifying the importance of persuasion, universal voting could begin to alter the tenor of our campaigns and encourage a politics that places greater stress on dialogue, empathy, and the common good. 5 And some citizens, initially empowered by their votes, would be drawn to deepen their participation in other aspects of civic life.

To say that everyone should vote is the surest guarantee that everyone will be enabled to vote. Stressing the obligation to participate will, we believe, expand the freedom to participate. As we will detail in these pages, civic duty voting must be accompanied by other voting reforms. They include automatic voter registration at state agencies; restoration of voting rights for citizens with felony convictions; early voting; expanded mail-in voting; and no-excuse absentee voting.

But we also need to recognize the disparities in American society that affect participation. This has been put in sharp focus in the 2020 primaries. The high turnout and willingness of voters to adapt to the changes in elections in the face of the pandemic deserves to be celebrated. But we must also recognize that barriers to voting were often concentrated in lower income and Black or Latinx communities, where turnout was suppressed by dramatically curtailed opportunities for in-person voting and distrust of voting by mail. “Long lines are voter suppression in action,” election lawyer Marc Elias observed—one reason the 2014 bipartisan Presidential Commission on Election Administration insisted that no voter should have to wait more than 30 minutes to cast a ballot. 6

And while the polemics around easier voting have often taken on a partisan cast—the recriminations around the April 2020 primary and State Supreme Court election in Wisconsin in the midst of the pandemic are an unfortunate example—we would note that a number of Republican secretaries of state and many conservatives support mail ballots and other reforms to ease access to voting. Writing in National Review in support of broad participation through no-excuse absentee and drive-through voting during the pandemic, Rachel Kleinfeld and Joshua Kleinfeld warned: “The United States is already at high levels of polarization and historically low levels of trust in government and fellow citizens. We cannot afford an election our people don’t believe in.” 7 This captures the spirit behind our proposals.

“[Civic duty voting is] a full embrace of democracy: It insists that every citizen has a role to play in our nation’s public life and in constructing our future.”

Essential as these various enhancements and repairs to our system are, we believe that civic duty voting itself is the necessary prod to the changes we need because it would clarify the priorities of election officials at every point in the process: Their primary task is to allow citizens to embrace their duties, not to block their participation. We see it as a message to political leaders: It will encourage them to understand that their obligations extend to all Americans, not just to those they deem to be “likely voters.” And we see it as a full embrace of democracy: It insists that every citizen has a role to play in our nation’s public life and in constructing our future.

Our hope is that this report will spur national discussion in two spheres: the need to make our system more voter-friendly, and the obligation of citizens themselves to embrace the tasks of self-government. Ultimately, we hope our country as a whole can embrace this idea as a decisive step in our long struggle to ensure that all Americans are included in our Constitution’s most resonant phrase, “We, the people.”

This report was authored by the Universal Voting Working Group. The members of our Working Group have participated in meetings, conference calls, drafting, and editing in an 18-month path to this final report. While we may not all agree on every word in the report or every item in the recommendations section, we are all in agreement that the concept of making voting a universal civic duty in the United States would significantly enhance our democracy by broadening civic participation in all communities. We believe it is worthy of a broad public discussion, which we hope to initiate with this report. (Organizations are listed for identification purposes only.)

• E.J. Dionne Jr., The Brookings Institution
• Miles Rapoport, The Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation, Harvard Kennedy School

Working group members:

• Michelle Bishop, National Disability Rights Network
• Cornell William Brooks, Harvard Kennedy School
• Nick Chedli Carter, Resilient Democracy Fund*
• Allegra Chapman, Chapman Consulting and Common Cause
• Cheryl Clyburn Crawford, Mass VOTE
• Joshua A. Douglas, University of Kentucky Rosenberg College of Law
• Anthony Fowler, The University of Chicago
• Archon Fung, The Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation, Harvard Kennedy School
• William A. Galston, The Brookings Institution
• Amber Herrle, The Brookings Institution
• Cecily Hines, The Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation, Harvard Kennedy School
• María Teresa Kumar, Voto Latino
• Carolyn J. Lukensmeyer, National Institute for Civil Discourse
• Thomas E. Mann, The Brookings Institution
• Terry Ao Minnis, Asian Americans Advancing Justice | AAJC
• Janai Nelson, NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund
• Nick Nyhart, Nyhart Consulting
• Norman J. Ornstein, American Enterprise Institute
• Andre M. Perry, The Brookings Institution
• Whitney Quesenbery, Center for Civic Design
• Ian Simmons, Blue Haven Initiative*
• Shane P. Singh, University of Georgia
• Tova Wang, The Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation, Harvard Kennedy School
• Dorian Warren, Community Change
• Brenda Wright, Demos

An asterisk denotes organizations that contributed financial support.

Brookings, Harvard, and the working group members are grateful for the financial support provided for this project by the Carnegie Corporation, the Resilient Democracy Fund, and the Blue Haven Initiative. This report reflects the views of its authors and not those of the Brookings Institution, the Ash Center, the John F. Kennedy School of Government, or Harvard University.

• See Eric Foner, The Second Founding: How the Civil War and Reconstruction Remade the Constitution (New York: Norton, 2019).
• Foner, p. 94-95.
• Lisa Hill, “Compulsory Voting Defended,” in Jason Brennan and Lisa Hill, Compulsory Voting: For and Against (New York: Cambridge University Press, 2014), p. 197.
• King quoted in Barbara Arnwine and John Nichols, “Martin Luther King’s Call to ‘Give Us the Ballot’ Is As Relevant Today as It was in 1957,” The Nation, January, 15, 2018, https://www.thenation.com/article/archive/martin-luther-kings-call-to-give-us-the-ballot-is-as-relevant-today-as-it-was-in-1957/tnamp/.
• This section draws on William A. Galston and E. J. Dionne Jr., “The case for universal voting: Why making voting a duty would enhance our elections and improve our government,” The Brookings Institution Center for Effective Public Management (September 2015).
• Marc Elias tweet is available here: https://twitter.com/marceelias/status/1273616769706602496?s=21.
• Joshua Kleinfeld and Rachel Kleinfeld, “How to Hold Elections during a Pandemic,” April 7, 2020, https://www.nationalreview.com/2020/04/coronavirus-response-holding-elections-during-pandemic/.

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Voting in American Politics: A Syllabus

From battles to expand the franchise to the mysteries of turnout, voting is one of the most important things to understand about U.S. politics.

Even though it’s a cornerstone of representative democracy in U.S. politics, the right to vote expanded very slowly—and not without a fight in most cases. Today, voting is still contested, as some states have limited the franchise through redistricting, closing polling places, requiring official ID to vote, and other means.

Every time we get ready for an election, voting is on our minds. But those thoughts can be vague and lack historical and political context. With this syllabus, we hope to provide motivation to learn more—and to turn out!

Elections and Power

Voting and governing are different things, but both entail power. Our election system reflects that, but elections themselves can be convoluted processes in themselves.

Why Do We Vote by Secret Ballot?

Electoral College 101

Time for Reform of the Electoral College?

Is Gerrymandering to Blame for Our Polarized Politics?

Enfranchisement Is the Only Route to Security

Why Do They Build Party Platforms, Anyway?

Just How Unrepresentative Are the Iowa Caucuses?

The Accidental Presidents of the United States

The Midterms That Changed America

“It’s the psychology, stupid.” What really decides elections?

Ballot Position: It Matters

Fighting for the right to vote.

It took a Civil War for Black men to get the right to vote. Millions were enfranchised when women got the vote in 1920, but Black women were mostly excluded from voting due to legal discrimination. Removing these injustices took both organizing and militance.

The Voting Rights Act at 50

Susan B. Anthony on Her Revolutionary Foremothers

Free Love and the First Female Presidential Nominee

The Significance of Shirley Chisholm’s Presidential Campaign

New Jersey Let (Some) Women Vote from 1776 to 1807

Revisiting Reconstruction

Race Has Always Affected the Vote

How Women’s Suffrage Has Been Represented in American Film

The Voting Rights Act 1965: Annotated

Voting Rights for People Convicted of Felonies

Who are voters.

Political scientists puzzle over the question for good reason: understanding voters, and voting, provides the kind of knowledge that can help citizens access the polls and exercise the kind of power that voting gives them.

How to Get People to Vote

Creating the Voter Fraud Myth

The Case for Lowering the Voting Age

Would Formerly Incarcerated People Vote Democratic?

How Class Conflicts Determine Voter Turnout

Who Are the Independent Voters?

Lawrence Lessig: How to Repair Our Democracy

Editors’ Note: This post was originally published on August 6, 2020 and has been updated with new stories October 28, 2020.

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Home — Essay Samples — Government & Politics — Voting — The Importance of Voting for Strengthening Democracy

The Importance of Voting for Strengthening Democracy

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Published: Sep 5, 2023

Words: 630 | Page: 1 | 4 min read

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Shaping government policies, promoting representation and inclusivity, fostering civic participation, challenges and the importance of overcoming them.

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In many countries around the world, the voting age is set at 18 years old. This age is seen as a crucial milestone in a person's life, as it marks the transition from adolescence to adulthood. It is also the age at which [...]

The 2024 Republican primary is shaping up to be a pivotal moment in American politics, with far-reaching implications for the future of the Republican Party and the trajectory of the country as a whole. As candidates begin to [...]

In the United States, the legal age for voting stands at eighteen, this is an age that has been lowered from twenty-one due to statue reform. Every citizen has the right to vote, yet so many choose not to. Especially in the 2008 [...]

Voting is a fundamental component of any democratic society, as it allows individuals to have a say in the decisions that affect their lives. It is a right that has been fought for and protected by countless individuals [...]

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Essay on Voting | Importance of Voting in Democracy Essay in English | Essays for Students

Importance of voting essay.

Democracy is a system of government where power lies in the hands of the people. Voting is a process through which citizens choose their leaders by casting votes in a democracy. It is a fundamental right and responsibility that every citizen should embrace. Here is why voting holds such importance in a democracy:

1. Ensuring Representation : Voting is important because it allows us to choose leaders who make decisions for our country. These decisions directly impact our lives, including areas such as education, healthcare, employment, and more.

2. Expressing Opinion : Voting allows individuals to express their opinions on various issues. It gives them the power to shape decisions that impact their lives and the future of their nation.

3. Holding Leaders Accountable: By voting, citizens ensure that elected officials are responsible for their actions and policies. Elected officials know they must listen to the concerns of the voters if they want to stay in power. This helps monitor the performance of leaders and promotes transparency in governance.

4. Safeguarding Democracy : Voting is essential for maintaining a healthy democracy. Voting guarantees that governments are selected through fair and transparent elections. It promotes political stability, protects citizens' rights, and strengthens democratic institutions.

To sum up, voting is not just a right but a fundamental pillar of democracy. It empowers citizens to shape the future of a nation. Therefore, every eligible citizen should use their right to vote to support the core of democracy.

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7 The Roles of Elections

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This chapter examines the role of elections in the democratic process. It aims to provide an alternative structure for considering the expectations about, and evaluative standards for, elections raised by democratic theories. It discusses the equality element of democracy and suggests that though elections play a central role in all theories of democracy, the specific functions of elections vary tremendously from one conception of democracy to another. It concludes that a valid connection between electoral institutions and democratic values must be based on an accurate picture of the options available in the design of those institutions and of the consequences of choosing one option rather than another.

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Essay on Election and Democracy for Students and Children

500 words essay on election and democracy.

A democratic government is said to be the best kind of government. It ensures the active participation of the people where the citizens get the chance to choose their government. The candidate or party whom the people choose is through elections.

Therefore, we see how elections play a pivotal role in a democracy. The party which secures the highest number of votes in the election process forms the government for the next term. That is why we see how elections are greatly crucial for a democracy.

Election Process in a Democracy

The election process in a democracy is usually similar in most ways. It is responsible for shaping the government of a democracy. Elections are conducted at regular intervals. In a democracy like India, they take place every five years. A committee is set to monitor the whole electoral procedure from the voters’ list to the results.

During the election process, various parties enroll themselves to contest in the elections. After thorough campaigning and more, dates are decided on which voting happens. People turn up in great numbers to cast their votes to make their candidate or party win.

Most importantly, in a democracy, the election process follows the method of a secret ballot. It is very beneficial for maintaining the fairness of the contest. Moreover, they also protect the privacy and safety of the voter as they are not liable to answer to anyone regarding their vote. It is one of the fairest ways to decide who wins the election.

Get the huge list of more than 500 Essay Topics and Ideas

Importance of Election in Democracy

The election procedure just shows how important and crucial it is for a democracy. The process is very grand and takes place on a great level. As it requires a lot of work and attention, there are certain people who specifically get the responsibility of handling and managing the entire process.

Elections form the basis of democracy. They are very important as they help the people in getting a chance to contest the elections. It allows people to get a fair chance to work for their country and make a brighter future. Moreover, it also ensures that any person can become a part of the government without any discrimination on the basis of caste, creed, sex, religion or more.

Most importantly, elections entrust a big responsibility on the shoulders of the citizens. It helps in empowering the citizens of a democracy. You see that when a person earns the right to vote, they choose their government responsibly as they realize the power that lies within their hands.

Above all, the election process ensures fair play. They are a great way of preventing dishonest people from rigging the procedure. In short, fair and regular elections are a vital part of a democratic government. Similarly, they empower the common citizens of the nation to elect their government and also change it after a period of time to ensure everyone works for the best in the country.

FAQs on Election and Democracy

Q.1 What is the election process in a democracy?

A.1 The election process takes place at a regular period of time. People cast their vote to whomever they think id serving of being in power. Thus, the party with the majority of votes wins and serves the term.

Q.2 Why are elections important in a democracy?

A.2 Elections form the basis of any democracy. It ensures that the power resides within the people. It also ensures fair play and stops any unfair means from taking place. They are important to strengthen the essence of democracy.

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Importance of Elections in Democracy: Features, Reasons & Process

Election: A Basic Component of Democratic Society

Elections are a fundamental component of democratic societies , serving as a crucial mechanism for citizens to exercise their right to choose their representatives and leaders, Emphasizing the Importance of Election Process

Importance of Elections in Representative Governance

• Purpose of Elections: Elections enable people to select representatives since direct decision-making by all citizens is impractical.
• Representative Selection: It helps people to select representatives based on qualities like age, experience, or knowledge.
• Democratic Representation: Selection without elections lacks democratic features, as it does not ensure representation in line with people’s desires and choices of all sections of society.
• Choosing New Leaders: Elections ensure regular turnover of representatives and allow citizens to choose new leaders or change existing ones.
• Who will make laws for them?
• Who will form the government and take major decisions.
• The party whose policies will guide the government.

Importance of Elections in a Democracy

• Importance of Elections in Democracy: Elections have today become the most visible symbol of the Democratic Process. 
• Therefore, representatives are elected by the people and it increases the importance of elections
• Responsibility and Accountability: Regular elections entail responsibility and accountability on representatives about their policy decisions.
• Non-Democratic Elections: However, all elections are not democratic. Sometimes non-democratic countries held elections to legitimize rule. 
• Examples: Sham elections in authoritarian regimes (e.g., North Korea), controlled outcomes (e.g., Belarus).
• Democratic Election Principles: On the other hand, democratic elections ensure genuine competition, free expression, equal participation, fair representation for inclusive governance and independent monitoring.
• Ensuring Fairness and Equality: Importance of elections is to ensure democratic, transparent electoral laws, impartial election commissions, media freedom, and equal campaigning opportunities are necessary. 
• Example: In India, The Representation of People Act, of 1951 addresses fairness, freedom, impartiality, and equal representation in elections.

Exploring the Key Features of Democratic Elections

• Equal Participation: Every eligible citizen has one vote, and each vote has equal weight .
• Regularity: Elections are held periodically, ensuring a consistent democratic process.
• Reflecting People’s Will: Chosen candidates represent the preferences of the electorate.
• Free and Fair Conduct: Importance of Elections is more when they are conducted openly and fairly, allowing citizens to vote as they wish.
• Political Competition: Multiple parties and candidates contesting elections offer meaningful choices to voters.
• Peaceful Resolution: Democratic elections aim to resolve political disputes and conflicts through peaceful means rather than violence.
• Inclusivity: Importance of elections is  ensuring that marginalized and underrepresented groups have the opportunity to participate in elections.

Assessing the Merits and Demerits of Political Competition in Elections

• Importance of Elections is all about political competition. 
• The most obvious form is the competition among political parties. 
• Example:  At the Constituency level, it takes the form of competition among several candidates.

Conclusion:

Democratic elections are a cornerstone of democratic governance , enabling citizens to actively participate in shaping the direction of their nation and fostering a sense of legitimacy and accountability in the political process. India  being a democratic country has importance of elections.

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Sandra Day O’Connor saw civics education as key to the future of democracy

Associate Professor of Political Science, Oklahoma State University

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Beyond her trailblazing role as the first woman appointed to the U.S. Supreme Court, Justice Sandra Day O’Connor considered iCivics – a civics education nonprofit founded after she retired from the court – to be her “ most important legacy .”

“The practice of democracy is not passed down through the gene pool,” O’Connor once stated . “It must be taught and learned by each new generation.”

iCivics is the toolkit she assembled to do just that. Fulfilling O’Connor’s call to action, iCivics provides games and activities designed to help students learn about American democracy. iCivics is predicated on getting students to actively apply what they’re learning through interaction and simulation. The website serves 9 million students annually , in all 50 states.

O’Connor’s dedication to civics education was motivated by her keen awareness of its vital importance. She once noted , “Without basic civic education, we cannot expect to preserve or improve our system of government.”

As researchers who examine the impact of civics coursework , we agree. The evidence shows that civics education generally – and the iCivics initiative specifically – has proven an effective tool for preparing citizens, especially when instructors get their students to actively engage with the material and one another.

One study found that elementary, middle and high school students exhibited substantial growth in political knowledge after interacting with iCivics for just 30 minutes twice per week.

While iCivics targets K-12 students, O’Connor considered the need for civics education to extend more broadly . She once observed that polls have shown that only a third of the public could name the three branches of government . “Compare that to the … nearly three-quarters who can name two of the Three Stooges, and the numbers are disheartening,” O’Connor stated.

The quest for what works

Like O’Connor, we are interested in identifying strategies for effective instruction. We study civics education at the college level. Specifically, we survey the thousands of students who take Introduction to American Government – a required general education and foundational civics education course -— each year at Oklahoma State University. We ask students to answer basic political knowledge questions at the beginning and end of each semester. We also ask students to assess their confidence in understanding politics and their ability to effectively participate.

While students who take Introduction to American Government grow significantly in their belief that they can understand and effectively engage with the political process, we find that – similar to the impact of iCivics activities – students experienced even more growth when their instructors used strategies that were actively engaging. These strategies include analyzing data and current events, group discussions and posting on online discussion boards.

Like others , our analyses also show students gain knowledge about government and politics through civics coursework. Importantly, these outcomes and civics education more generally have been shown to be significant predictors of future political participation. This includes regularly talking politics with peers , voting , petitioning and protesting .

Our research also uncovers that there is flexibility in how to deliver effective civics education. Online classes promote as much or greater gains for students. Additionally, instructors can use technology to ensure learning about democracy persists even if the class format must shift unexpectedly , such as from in person to online.

Broader research from the middle , high school and college levels, and across formats , echoes these findings. Giving students opportunities to actively apply course material and engage with peers equips them with the knowledge and skills to be active citizens.

Changing futures

Civics education is especially useful for lifting students who did not grow up talking about politics and discussing its importance onto equal footing with those who did. Women and racial and ethnic minorities , for example, are on average less likely to be socialized by parents into learning about and taking part in politics. Civics education can compensate for these disparities , creating a pathway for all to understand how government works and how they can take part.

O’Connor was committed to empowering and engaging young citizens through civics education. She noted , “We have a complex system of government. You have to teach it to every generation. We want young people to continue to be part of it. We need ’em more than ever.”

Though O’Connor made those comments in 2012, the need to encourage participation among younger generations persists. A recent poll indicates that the number of young Americans planning to vote in 2024 may be lower than in the 2020 election.

With more and more young Americans questioning whether it is essential to live in a democracy , O’Connor’s efforts to increase access to civics education continue to light a path forward on how to reinvigorate democracy in the U.S.

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Voting Awareness Essay

The voting awareness essay is an article that discusses voting and its importance. It provides information about voting and how to be a responsible voter. A lot of people want to vote, but many are not aware of its need and how to cast it. This is where voting awareness comes into play. The idea of voting awareness is to help people understand the importance of voting. Voting is an important way for voters to control their government. It is a method for citizens to express what they want from their leaders by raising awareness about voting. This will lead to better governance and what everyone wants – a democracy that is free, fair and representative.

Voting helps citizens become more involved in their government and keep it accountable. To vote, you must meet specific requirements. In addition to voting, there are a few laws that ensure fair elections around the world. BYJU’S short essay on voting awareness helps us understand the vote’s significance.

Importance of Voting

Voting is an integral part of democracy, and it is necessary for people to have a voice. Everyone has the right to vote, which means that all Indians can vote for the Prime Minister of their choice. By voting, you can create change and make a difference in your community. It is also important to vote because you can only repeal a law if most citizens agree with it.

Voting is one way to be more civically engaged with your government. It is vital to make a difference in the world by having your voice heard and representing the views of people who don’t have a voice. If you want to create change, voting is an excellent way. Voting in election helps citizens ensure that the country is granted better rights and protection.

Voting is an important civic duty that can significantly impact the future of our country. Voting helps keep politicians accountable for their actions and creates the framework for our democracy. Voting also ensures that public officials are paid with the tax amount from the people who can afford to pay them. The most consequential decision of all is how to spend tax – voting ensures that there is accountability for what goes into our government’s budget. The last thing we want is for politicians to be able to spend public money without being held accountable by the public’s vote.

To conclude, this is BYJU’S voting awareness essay for kids to help them understand the significance of voting in a democracy. Voting gives citizens a voice and an opportunity to participate in the democratic process. Voting also allows everyone to contribute to the shared democracy and make the government more representative of the people. For more kids learning activities like worksheets , poems etc., visit BYJU’S website.

Frequently Asked Questions on Voting Awareness Essay

At what age can a person vote in india.

In India, a person can start voting once they turn 18.

Why should we vote?

We should vote to let our voices be heard and ensure that what we want is put into effect. Voting is one of the fundamental rights our country offers us.

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How South Africa’s elections may reshape its democracy

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Guest Essay

Europe Is About to Drown in the River of the Radical Right

Ms. Ypi, a professor of political theory at the London School of Economics, wrote from London.

Europe is awash with worry. Ahead of parliamentary elections widely expected to deliver gains to the hard right, European leaders can barely conceal their anxiety. In a speech in late April, President Emmanuel Macron of France captured the prevailing mood. After eloquently warning of threats to the continent, he pronounced the need for a newly powerful Europe, a “Europe puissance.”

As I watched the speech , I was reminded of Niccolò Machiavelli’s comments in the opening pages of “The Prince,” his seminal 16th-century treatise on political power. In a dedication to Lorenzo de’ Medici, the ruler of the Florentine Republic, Machiavelli suggested that politics is in many ways like art. Just as landscape painters imaginatively place themselves in the plains to examine the mountains and on top of mountains to study the plains, so too should rulers inhabit their domains. “To know the nature of the people well, one must be a prince,” Machiavelli wrote, “and to know the nature of princes well, one must be of the people.”

Here was a politician grappling with the first part of Machiavelli’s sentence, an officeholder trying to comprehend the lay of the land. What is power in contemporary Europe, and how should it be exercised by the European Union? Mr. Macron answered in princely fashion, showing awareness of both the finite nature of every political community — Europe is “mortal,” he said — and its cyclical vulnerability to crisis. He concluded with a passionate defense of European “civilization” and urged the creation of a paradigm to revive it.

Yet for all his aspirations, Mr. Macron neglected the second half of Machiavelli’s sentence: that people also form views on their rulers, which rulers ignore at their peril. Mr. Macron brushed aside the many Europeans who feel the bloc is aloof and inaccessible, describing their disenchantment as a result of “false arguments.” The dismissal was no aberration. For decades, the leaders of the European Union have overlooked the people in the plains, shutting out the continent’s citizens from any meaningful political participation. This exclusion has changed the contours of the European landscape, paving the way for the radical right.

When Machiavelli reflected on the crises of his time — among them conflicts between major European powers, discontent with public officials and the collapsing legitimacy of the Roman Catholic Church — he turned to the Roman Republic for inspiration. When there is skepticism about values, he wrote, history is our only remaining guide. The secret to Roman freedom, he explained in the “Discourses on Livy,” was neither its good fortune nor its military might. Instead, it lay in the Romans’ ability to mediate the conflict between wealthy elites and the vast majority of people — or as he put it, “i grandi” (the great) and “il popolo” (the people).

While the inherent tendency of the great, Machiavelli argued, is to accumulate wealth and power to rule the rest, the inherent desire of the people is to avoid being at the elites’ mercy. The clash between the groups generally pulled polities in opposite directions. Yet the Roman Republic had institutions, like the tribunate of the plebs, that sought to empower the people and contain the elites. Only by channeling rather than suppressing this conflict, Machiavelli said, could civic freedom be preserved.

Europe has not heeded his advice. For all its democratic rhetoric, the European Union is closer to an oligarchic institution. Overseen by an unelected body of technocrats in the European Commission, the bloc allows for no popular consultation on policy, let alone participation. Its fiscal rules, which impose strict limits on the budgets of member states, offer protection for the rich while imposing austerity on the poor. From top to bottom, Europe is dominated by the interests of the wealthy few, who restrict the freedom of the many.

Its predicament, of course, is not unique. Businesses, financial institutions, credit rating agencies and powerful interest groups call the shots everywhere, severely constraining the power of politicians. The European Union is far from the worst offender. Still, in nation-states, the semblance of democratic participation can be sustained through allegiance to a shared constitution. In the European Union, whose founding myth is the free market, the case is much harder to make.

The transnational character of the bloc is often supposed to be behind Europeans’ dislike of it. Yet those who resist the current European Union do not do so because it is too cosmopolitan. Very simply, and not unreasonably, they resist it because it fails to represent them. The Parliament for which Europeans will be voting next month, to take one glaring example of the bloc’s lack of democracy, has little legislative power of its own: It tends to merely rubber-stamp decisions made by the commission. It is this representative gap that is filled by the radical right, turning the problem into simple binaries — either you or them, the state or Europe, the white worker or the migrant.

It is perhaps surprising that the bloc’s democratic deficit has become a rallying cry for the radical right, but it explains much of its success. A recent poll , for example, showed that Europe’s citizens are much more concerned about poverty, jobs, living standards and climate change than they are about migration. This suggests that the appeal of the radical right lies less in its obsessive hostility to migrants than in its criticism of the bloc’s failures to address people’s everyday concerns. European politicians could seek to remedy that by changing institutions to improve citizens’ bargaining power and make them feel heard. Instead, they prefer to give stern lectures.

The radical right may be on the rise in Europe, but it does not have to be this way. Politics is always at the mercy of fortune. Yet fortune, as Machiavelli emphasized in “The Prince,” is like a river whose overflow can be prevented by building dikes and dams. If European politicians are increasingly trapped in emergency management, it’s because they have failed in the first task of politics worthy of the name: to diagnose the causes of crisis, to explain who is represented and who is excluded and to defend those whose freedom is endangered.

The politics of the people presented by the radical right may be narrowly ethnocentric, but it is the only one on offer that speaks directly to people’s disillusionment. Our modern princes may choose to look away. Yet as long as the radical right continues to dominate the terms of mainstream debate, while its historical roots are discreetly ignored, no appeal to European values will stop the river in which we’re all about to drown.

Lea Ypi ( @lea_ypi ) is a professor of political theory at the London School of Economics and the author of “Free: Coming of Age at the End of History.”

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Exclusive: Voting strengthens Indian democracy, indifference hurts, says PM Modi

In an exclusive interview with india today tv, pm narendra modi held that indifference isn't good for democracy and stressed the importance of voting in elections. he also emphasised that we should build narratives that help strengthen indian democracy..

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in an exclusive interview with India Today TV, emphasised the importance of voting in elections and participating in the democratic process.

"Instead of looking at voting, politics of voting, party performance etc., one should understand that voting is very important in democracy," PM Modi said.

While speaking on several topics dominating the political discourse, PM Modi also stressed the demerits of voter indifference.

"Indifference is not good for democracy," he replied, on being asked about the comparatively lower voter turnout in the four phases of the Lok Sabha election this year.

The first four phases of the 2024 Lok Sabha polls saw a substantial dip in the voter turnout, compared to the last Lok Sabha election in 2019.

States including Bihar, Jharkhand and Rajasthan saw a decrease in voter turnout percentage.

He also stressed the importance of prioritising the strengthening of Indian democracy over seeking immediate results.

"Our narrative should be such that Indian democracy becomes stronger. Instead, we look for results, that too, based on arguments, not facts," added the Prime Minister, who is seeking a third term in office.

While he spoke on the significance of voting and cautioned about voter apathy, PM Modi hit back at those who talked about low turnout, saying it was a pointless argument. Exercising the voting right should be the focus, according to the PM.

The Prime Minister also said that he did not claim the '400- paar ' slogan. He revealed that as he and the party met people on the ground, he got an idea of their perspectives.

IN THIS STORY

Why are voters worried about democracy?

In the latest polling from the new york times/siena college, 14% of voters said the economic and political system needs to be torn down entirely, while 55% said it needs major changes., may 16, 2024, what’s next for russia, what comes next after texas school shooting, what's next for abortion rights in america, the new battle for voting rights, how we can build a clean and renewable future, the fight for kyiv, examining extremism in the military, gun violence: an american epidemic, border crisis: what’s happening at the us-mexico border, remembering george floyd: a year of protest, the source of covid-19: what we know, how did the gamestop stock spike on wall street happen, why are people hesitant to trust a covid-19 vaccine, how climate change and forest management make wildfires harder to contain, disparity in police response: black lives matter protests and capitol riot, 2020 in review: a year unlike any other, examined: how putin keeps power, why don’t the electoral college and popular vote always match up, us crosses 250,000 coronavirus deaths, 2nd impeachment trial: what this could mean for trump, presidential transition of power: examined, how donald trump spent his last days as president, how joe biden's inauguration will be different from previous years, belarus’ ongoing protests: examined, trump challenges the vote and takes legal action, 2020’s dnc and rnc are different than any before, what is happening with the usps, voting in 2020 during covid-19, disinformation in 2020, abc news specials on, impact x nightline: on the brink, impact x nightline: unboxing shein, the lady bird diaries, impact x nightline: it's britney, impact x nightline: natalee holloway -- a killer confesses, impact x nightline: who shot tupac, impact x nightline, power trip: those who seek power and those who chase them, the murders before the marathon, the ivana trump story: the first wife, mormon no more, leave no trace: a hidden history of the boy scouts, keeper of the ashes: the oklahoma girl scout murders, the orphans of covid: america's hidden toll, superstar: patrick swayze, the kardashians -- an abc news special, 24 months that changed the world, have you seen this man.

‘Right of common citizen to contest elections in democracy killed’: Shyam Rangeela on rejection of nomination

C omedian Shyam Rangeela, whose nomination from Varanasi Lok Sabha constituency was rejected, Thursday said, "the right of a common citizen to contest elections in a democracy has been killed."

In a post on X, Rangeela said, "The commission has deliberately cheated me and 24-25 other candidates. The right of a common citizen to contest elections in a democracy has been killed. There are some people who are pointing fingers at me, I would tell them to muster courage and go and talk to the other candidates. They would not have come for publicity?"

Rangeela had submitted his nomination papers on Tuesday to contest elections from Varanasi Lok Sabha constituency against Prime Minister Narendra Modi. On Wednesday evening, he said his nomination has been rejected “on the ground that he did not take the oath”.

In a video message, Rangeela had alleged that “the Election Commission has made elections in Varanasi a game.” “Today, my nomination was rejected… Today, the DM told me that there was some issue with my documents and that I didn’t take the oath… They didn’t let the lawyers go in with me and called me alone. Now, the reason they gave is that I didn’t take an oath and that it was on me to take an oath. I said you didn’t ask me to, and they responded it isn’t their work," he added.

The Varanasi District Magistrate S Rajalingam, however, has responded to Rangeela's video, saying, “Your nomination paper was scrutinized in your presence and you were informed about the deficiencies. Your nomination paper has been cancelled because the affidavit submitted by you was incomplete and you did not take the oath/affirmation, a copy of the order of which has also been made available to you.”

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