Why Don’t More People Vote?: Crash Course US Government #4

Why Eligible Americans Do Not Vote

The video asks why many eligible Americans do not vote, arguing that the answer involves both individual choices and the systems that shape those choices.

Voter eligibility and turnout

• The host says about 244 million people were eligible to vote in the U.S. in 2024, including eligible citizens living abroad.
• Federal voters generally must be U.S. citizens and at least 18. The video also notes that some states restrict voting for people with felony convictions or certain cognitive disabilities, and that residents of U.S. territories such as Puerto Rico cannot vote in presidential elections.
• In 2024, fewer than three-quarters of eligible voters registered, and roughly three in five cast a ballot. The video describes this as broadly typical of U.S. presidential elections since the early 20th century, which have generally had turnout between 50% and 70%.
• Although recent presidential elections drew historically large numbers of voters, the host says nearly 90 million eligible people did not vote in 2024. U.S. turnout also compares unfavorably with that of several other countries.

Why people vote—or do not

The video presents three ways to think about voting:

• Expressive choice: People may vote because it feels meaningful to express an opinion or participate, even if the practical effect is small.
• Rational choice: People weigh the perceived benefits of an election outcome against the costs of voting, such as time, travel, and lost work hours. The potential benefit is also multiplied by the perceived chance that one vote will affect the result, called P. Because an individual vote is unlikely to decide most elections, this framework alone would suggest that voting is rarely worthwhile.
• Civic duty: People may vote because they believe it is their responsibility as members of a democracy, rather than because they expect a personal benefit.

Close races can make voting feel more consequential and attract more attention, money, and campaign activity. The video notes that turnout tends to be higher in competitive states than in states considered safely Democratic or Republican. Still, even in close elections, an individual vote is unlikely to decide the outcome.

The video also points to dissatisfaction and disengagement. It cites a 2020 poll in which non-voters gave reasons including disliking both candidates, believing their vote would not matter, and not engaging with politics. It says a further share were politically engaged and supported a candidate but still did not vote.

How the voting system affects participation

The host argues that a decision not to vote is not made in isolation: laws and administrative rules can make voting easier or harder.

• Historical voter suppression: After Black men gained voting rights under the 15th Amendment in 1870, Southern states used poll taxes and literacy tests to disenfranchise them. The Voting Rights Act of 1965 prohibited these practices, though the video says some of its protections have since been weakened.
• Voter ID requirements: The video describes ID laws as measures intended to protect elections from fraud that can also create obstacles for eligible voters. It says 36 states had voter ID laws, with 10 requiring official photo identification. It also cites a 2013 Texas law that reportedly disqualified 600,000 registered voters who lacked the required photo ID and disproportionately affected people of color. That particular law was later overturned.
• Registration rules: States differ in how people register. Some automatically register eligible residents during certain transactions, some permit online registration, and some allow registration and voting on Election Day. Other states require people to register in advance, which the video says can reduce turnout.
• Early, absentee, and mail voting: Rules vary by state. More flexible options can help older voters, people with disabilities, and people unable to leave work on Election Day. Other states require a specific excuse to use them.
• Costs and unequal effects: Time, effort, and money make voting more difficult, especially for people with less wealth or free time. The video says these barriers tend to fall especially heavily on people with lower socioeconomic status, racial minorities, and younger people—groups that also tend to have lower turnout.
• Possible reforms: Making Election Day a federal holiday or holding it on a weekend could make voting easier, the host suggests, while noting that countries take different approaches.

Central lesson and what comes next

The video concludes that voting is shaped by both personal motivations and the broader political system. The right to vote has been contested and won through generations of struggle by women, people of color, and other disenfranchised groups. Voting may not seem rational when considered as an individual act, the host argues, but collective participation is important to democracy. The episode closes by previewing the Electoral College as a further complication in U.S. presidential elections.

Speakers and sources featured

• Kushan Avidar — the named host and primary narrator. No other individual speaker is identified in the subtitles.
• Sources and references mentioned: Turnout and eligibility figures; a 2020 poll of non-voters; the 15th Amendment; the Voting Rights Act of 1965; state voter ID, registration, and ballot-access rules; and the voting theories of expressive choice, rational choice, and civic duty.
• USAFacts — identified in the closing as a nonpartisan civic-tech project and production partner.