“The New York Times” has published an article that relates to voting and the problems that people experience during the process. “Waiting Times at Ballot Boxes Draw Scrutiny” is the title of an article written by Jeremy Peters. He addresses some of the most important issues that pertain to the right of people to vote, their equal ability to do so and the government that has a responsibility before the citizens to provide best and accessible conditions to cast the vote. The article also gives some hints and clues to the separation between classes and minorities who have a different experience and possibility to vote.
One major point of the article is that voting is one of the most important rights of people in relation to their freedoms and choice of government and so, proper conditions must be set to meet the needs of people. The second point that deserves attention is that the long waits and lines at the voting polls cost the government and parties votes. This greatly affects the choices that people make regarding the government they want to see in the office. The third point that requires solutions is that the statistics show that minority groups had to wait longer in line and they are the ones who had less opportunity to vote during their work hours or a less flexible schedule.
The audience of the article is the public and this serves as a reassurance that the issue is being looked at and the government will address the problem by implementing some changes. But mostly, this article is addressed to politicians and people in the office, so that they are aware of the seriousness of the problem. The government must propose laws and policies so that the present conditions are changed (Peters, 2013). People are always ready to vote if they are offered an opportunity and policies that will better the lives of individuals and nation. The article was very productive and engaging because it made the reader think of how to better the circumstances of voting and what can the public do, personally, to decrease voting times and the wait itself.
The article is very useful and much needed in the present times. The changing economy and social strain are very significant problems in the modern world. People are starting to lose faith in governments every day and the examples of this are conflicts that take place all over the world. The government of the United States has proven to back up people and support their rights in any way possible. Voting was not an issue in the past decade, as people have gained their equal rights of voicing an opinion, in regards to the government they want to see controlling matters of the country.
Even though it might seem like a small problem, comparing to all other troubles that the nation has experienced, nonetheless it must be addressed in a timely matter because any delay in making the decision will make the issue even more severe. It might cause people’s choice of government to become much skewed. If some area has a majority of supporters for a certain party and the conditions for them to vote are beneficial, the community will be able to include all their votes and comparing to a place that has supporters of the opposite party but has no opportunity to vote. The candidate for the election will lose that majority of votes and people will be faced with the government that only minority wanted to see in power.
In order to confirm important issues mentioned in the article, several different sources were referred to. The article briefly mentions that Hispanics and blacks had to wait longer in lines and had less ability to vote. A book titled “The Congressional Black Caucus, Minority Voting Rights, and the U.S. Supreme Court” talks about this issue and gives several explanations. One was that minority groups have jobs that are very demanding and require longer hours.
This prevents people from waiting for longer periods of time in line. Another problem was that even though there are anti-discrimination policies, a slight differential treatment towards minorities is still present. Employers expect and demand more input from minority groups and that is why people are hesitant to leave their workplace to cast a vote (Rivers, 2012). An outside source looks at voting from a different perspective. An interestingly opposing statistic is that minority groups with higher education and social status take the time to participate, as voting is very important to them. They want to take part in the choice of their government because it took so long and so much effort for them to receive equal rights and abilities to enjoy democracy (Speel, 2010).
The American government acknowledges that there is a problem and there are steps that are being taken to avoid the long waits at the polling places but the reality stays grim. There are very many issues that must be presently addressed and it might become unrealistic to deal with the voting times, as soon as was expected previously. President Obama has mentioned that he realizes that it is an important issue but a lot depends on the support that he receives from other government officials (Congressional Record, 2010).
References
Congressional Record. (2010). Washington, United States: Government Printing Office. Web.
Peters, J. (2013). Waiting Times at Ballot Boxes Draw Scrutiny. The New York Times. Web.
Rivers, C. (2012). The Congressional Black Caucus, Minority Voting Rights, and the U.S. Supreme Court. Michigan, United States: University of Michigan Press. Web.
Speel, R. (2010). Changing Patterns of Voting in the Northern United States. University Park, United States: Penn State Press. Web.