History of Voting Video Script
Did you know more people in the United States watch the Super Bowl and use Facebook than exercise their right to
vote? 1
In a country where there’s so much at stake, how come so many of us don't vote for the people and laws that
decide how we live? Do we think our vote doesn’t matter? Or have we forgotten our own history?
America's first election came after fighting for our independence; a fight that cost many lives. But the fight was
worth it because instead of being ruled by a king, we finally had the right to make our own laws.
Well, not all of us had the right, because back then you had to own property, be white and a man in order to actually
vote. That continued for another 80 years until after the Civil War when slavery was abolished. All men regardless
of race were given the right to vote.
Hold up a minute, just because the laws said we could vote, didn’t mean we actually could. See all these new
voters wanted to participate, which threatened the people in power – and their ability to stay in power – so they
made it more difficult, with violence and shady new requirements like literacy tests and poll taxes.
We had to fight for nearly a hundred years before the voting rights act passed which finally outlawed these dirty
tricks.
And you weren't the only ones that had to fight for the right to vote. We women also got left out and had to organize
and fight state by state. Then we took our fight to Washington and finally got our right to vote across the country.
And even once the laws of the land guaranteed every person the right to vote, you still had to be 21 to vote in most
states. So when thousands of young Americans were drafted to go to war in Vietnam, young people across the
country realized their lives were at stake and they had no say. So in 1971, the 26th Amendment was passed, giving
everyone over 18 years the right to vote.
And since then, young people’s votes have been crucial in deciding lots of big elections like in 2008, when a black
candidate had a chance to become president. Young people showed up in record numbers and made history. And
as our numbers continue to grow, so does our influence.
Together we can decide: the way our country acts in the world, where we spend our resources, and how we power
our lives. Who has the right to marry, and who has the right to choose, whether or not to outlaw, and whether or not
to legalize.
It’s up to you to make your choices and shape our future. If we sit on the sidelines, then others will make it work for
them instead of us. So let’s make our voices heard. What would it take for you to vote?
The number of individuals who voted in the 2010 election was approximately 91 million according to Dr. Michael MacDonald at G eorge Mason
University. According to The Nielsen Company, 111 million viewers watched the 2011 Super Bowl. And, according to Facebook, the site has about 150
million active users in the US.
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© 2012 Rock the Vote