
Why we vote
Editor’s Note: Reader’s Digest is partnering with WeThePurple.org to republish articles from our archives that dramatize and revive patriotic enthusiasm about democracy and its core values. Reader’s Digest has long published inspiring quotations about every imaginable topic both from well-known individuals and our millions of readers.
Casting our vote is fundamental to our democracy. To past generations who prevailed against fascism and totalitarianism, to women, and to African Americans who fought hard for the right, voting has been a duty and a privilege. Voter turnout tends to hover between 50-60% in presidential elections, with low turnout attributed to apathy, disillusionment, or simply the feeling that’s one’s vote won’t make a difference. But nothing is further from the truth. If you’re looking for a reason to get excited about voting, read on:

Franklin D. Roosevelt on the power of a vote

Alexander Woollcott on successful democracy

Abraham Lincoln on elections

Suzy Kassem on choosing great leaders

Gore Vidal on being an informed voter

Lyndon B. Johnson on injustice

Richelle E. Goodrich on honoring sacrifice

Larry Sabato on showing up

Robert A. Heinlein on deciding whom to vote for

Howard Zinn on the importance of protest

Bayard Rustin on why democracy is both a means and an end

Atifete Jahiaga on why being informed matters

Kofi Annan on education and democracy
