Of the many ways Americans can participate in politics, voting is considered one of the most common and important ways to get involved. The outcome of any election, especially at the national level, determines who will make and enforce the laws that all Americans must abide by. With this in mind you might assume that all Americans are active voters, but studies show that voter turnout is actually surprisingly low. With this disturbing trend it is important to know what the statistics say about voter turnout and the four main factors that influence participation: socioeconomic status, education, political environment and state election laws, in order to help increase voter turnout in future elections. according to a study conducted by Nonprofit Vote, only "an estimated 58.7 percent of eligible voters turned out to vote" ("Turnout") in the 2012 presidential election, which is lower than the 62 percent achieved in 2008 (Ginsberg 306). According to the United States Census Bureau in 2012, 71.2 percent of Americans reported having registered to vote, but only 61.8 reported actually doing so. ("Voting and Registration"). While each source did not report the exact same statistics in America, these percentages are considered high in political participation. Even worse, in midterm elections turnout is typically closer to 33% and even lower for any local election. (Ginsberg 306). While we may consider these statistics positive for America, looking at world democracies we are far behind, in many “European countries and other Western democracies [the] national voter turnout is usually between 70 and 90%.” (Ginsberg 306) . The question is then asked why the American vote is bad, which is therefore a... means of paper... er to understand why voter turnout is so low. As a society we need to take this into consideration and find ways to promote higher voter turnout rates, whether through social reform programs to raise the socioeconomic status of citizens, more education, better political environments at home and community levels, or fewer restrictions on human rights. vote. For our society to function effectively and efficiently, we must participate in our democratic system at higher rates than the average participation of around 40%. Works Cited Ginsberg, Benjamin, et al. We the People: An Introduction to American Politics. 9th ed. New York, NY: WW Norton & Company, Inc., 2013. “Voter Turnout” Print. Nonprofit Vote. Nonprofit Voting and Web. November 27, 2013."Voting and Registration." United States Census Bureau. US Census Bureau, 8 May 2013. Web. 27 November. 2013.