4 Science-Based Reasons to Vote

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Sure, it's easy not to vote. Consider the following thoughts that easily can stop someone from going to the polls.

• "My district is so liberal (or conservative) that the outcomes are already determined."
• "There's no way that my one single vote will matter."
• "I'm just, frankly, too busy."
• "The system is so beyond help that voting doesn't even do anything."
• "It's cold and raining outside and, honestly, I just don't want to be bothered."

Sure, many of us have had these or similar thoughts on occasion when it comes to voting. But let me say that the more I think about what it means to truly live in a democracy, the more convinced I am that solid voter turnout is critical to our broader shared future. If you don't like how things are headed, voting in elections is essentially a minimal form of activism to make your voice matter. When democracy fails, we all suffer.

So whatever your political orientation, if you are eligible to vote, I say that you should prioritize voting in the strongest sense. Only with a motivated and active populace is change even possible.

4 Science-Based Reasons to Vote this Year

Below are four science-based reasons to get out and vote this Election Day.

1. Voter turnout preserves democracy.

Humans evolved strong tendencies toward egalitarianism and democracy—yet history tells us that top-down totalitarian governments have their way of taking things over when people become complacent; often when they least expect it (see Bingham & Souza, 2009). Want to keep our governmental system as a democracy? Get out there and vote.

2. Voting gives us a sense of control.

Taking actions that give one the impression that they control their environment is a powerful way to boost one's mood and optimism about their future (see Alloy & Abramson, 1979). Want to feel good about your influence on the world? Get out there and vote.

3. Voting is related to well-being.

According to research by Ward et al. (2021), subjective well-being is strongly related to voting behaviors. While their findings include various nuances, a bottom line that emerges clearly is this: Voting is related to one's subjective reports of well-being. These researchers found that people who scored low on well-being and then voted often felt better about themselves after having done so. Want to be happy with your life? Getting out there and voting could help.

4. Voting can level the playing field of life.

A sad fact is that (according to data from the Pew Research Center, among other sources), voters tend to be, on average, wealthier and more educated compared with their non-voting counterparts. We the people cannot let this stand. This fact flies in the face of democracy itself, allowing some who are relatively "privileged" to have a more powerful voice when it comes to elections compared to their less-privileged counterparts.

This fact suggests two important implications. First, if you are young and/or without much in the way of means, realize that elections in a democracy actually affect your future more than is true for the average person. So it is particularly important that someone in such a situation makes their voice heard.

Second, given this reality, it truly is up to all of us, regardless of political orientation, to help shape social structures so that voting is as accessible for as many people in our democracy as possible. Want to level the playing field? Get out there and vote.

Bottom Line

For any number of reasons, it is easy to skip out on voting. For the reasons described above, as well as several others not mentioned herein, it is critical that members of a democracy take the minimal activist step of voting during each election cycle. Voter turnout in the U.S. is famously low among democracies around the world (as is reported in this Pew Research Center report).

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No matter where you stand on the political spectrum, it's likely that you agree that our democracy is a mess right now. Want to be part of the solution? Step number one is actually relatively simple: Go out there and vote on Election Day. Your voice matters. Make it heard.