Eric Orts and Kate Shaw | Why vote?

We write to urge everyone on campus who is a United States citizen and eligible to vote to take the time to register and cast your ballot in the upcoming election. The deadline to register in Pennsylvania is Oct. 21. Go to Penn Leads the Vote for an electronic link and for other information.

We know that the pressures of academics, social life, and other activities can make it hard to find time for anything else. But registering to vote can be done easily and quickly, and in Pennsylvania and other states it’s now possible to vote by mail. It isn’t much of a hassle. 

Why vote? We would like to counter some common arguments made against voting.

Of course, it’s a free country, and no one is required to vote here. But that’s one reason in and of itself to vote: to preserve the freedom from being compelled by the government to act without public consent.

One common reason that people give for not voting is that it’s too much trouble. Why bother? In fact, though, it’s relatively easy these days to register online (see above) and to cast your ballot. Any conception that voting is going to be a drain on your time just isn’t true today.  

Another reason often given is that voting isn’t worthwhile given the prospects of having any actual effect on the outcome of an election. It’s true that the marginal effect of any single vote is very small. But a compelling response is to ask “what if everyone did that?” If we all made individual decisions not to vote, then leaders would not be subject to the discipline of elections. Voting assures at least some measure of accountability of leaders who have political power, but only if everyone — or at least a large fraction — exercises their right to vote. 

This year also happens to be one in which voting here in Pennsylvania may decide who becomes the next president. In our system, presidential elections don’t depend on who wins the most votes nationwide, but which candidate prevails in the Electoral College. Pennsylvania is a closely divided state with a significant number of electoral votes, and some analysts suggest that winning Pennsylvania would give either Harris or Trump an 87% or 93% chance, respectively, to win the Electoral College and thus the presidency. In 2020, Biden won Pennsylvania by only 81,660 votes (out of more than more than 6.8 million votes cast). So voting in the election here may matter more than voting in any other state, especially given that the polls are pretty much all within the margin of error. 

Another reason to vote is that long-term outcomes may be difficult to predict, but that doesn’t mean that they don’t matter. Think of the main issues today: policies affecting the economy, immigration, climate, healthcare, reproductive freedom, education, and even voting rights themselves. The consequences of who gets elected might not matter to you immediately, but consider the long run. The cumulative effects of policies adopted by one administration rather than another can add up to be quite large. 

But you might still say, who cares? I don’t really like either candidate. Whoever wins will probably only make things worse.  

Here’s one possibly helpful exercise: Pick a few issues that you care the most about. Which of the candidates do you think will best address them (or do the least harm)? Maybe talk with a few friends or family about your deliberations. Then vote!

Usually, for reasons that are probably not hard to figure, registration and turnout among younger voters is lower than for older ones. Perhaps this is partly a question of habit — new or younger voters just haven’t developed the muscle memory of participating in regular elections. Or maybe older voters become more concerned with consequences on their daily lives, such as perceived threats to their jobs, the cost of living, or their healthcare or social security.  

But when and if younger adults vote in larger numbers, they can change outcomes. For example, many observers predicted a “red wave” in 2022 because the party that wins the presidency usually loses seats in the next congressional election. Studies show that this did not happen largely because of an unexpectedly high turnout of younger voters (Generation Z and millennials). In closely divided Pennsylvania, for example, Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.) would probably have lost his 2022 U.S. Senate race without a high percentage (70%) of younger voters supporting him.

Rationally, too, if you consider the long-term effects of voting outcomes combined with life expectancy, voting should really matter more to younger people than their elders. 

If you find one or more of the reasons we give above persuasive, please find the time to register and make a plan to vote — and maybe do a little more than that and encourage your friends, family, and fellow citizens to vote too!  

Collectively speaking, at least, our future depends on it. 

ERIC ORTS is a Wharton professor of legal studies and business ethics. His email is ortse@wharton.upenn.edu. 

KATE SHAW is a Penn Carey Law professor of law. Her email is kateshaw@law.upenn.edu.