The participation of the Americans in local elections is way much different from the national elections. Many Americans choose not to participate in the local elections by regarding it as a waste of time. This then results in low voter turnout, which then impacts the local politics since democracy is not appropriately exercised. This paper then discusses the representation, participation, and voter turnout in local elections in the United States and their impacts. In the United States, many of the Americans do not participate in the local elections. It is because, in the United States, many older people are the ones who vote the most, unlike young individuals who may choose not to participate in the elections. Another reason for low participation maybe because of unnecessary barriers when it comes to registration of voters and the process of voting. In this case, many people may be left out during the elections. The voters also may feel alienated from the local government hence not participate in the elections. In the local elections, many Americans are prevented from their concerns being heard due to antiquated and prejudiced ex-offender marginalization laws (Oliver, Ha, & Callen, 2012). They hence prefer not to participate in the elections. Voter turnout in American local elections is also low. It may be due to many reasons, which do not necessarily mean that they did not register as voters. One of the reasons is that people may not be in the mood of politics on that particular day hence affect the turn out of the elections. Also, the Americans may prioritize their work rather than standing in the voter line for a long time. In this case, they may consider voting as a waste of time hence result in low participation. When it comes to representation, most of the Americans fail to vote since they claim that the candidates are not worthy or qualified to represent them. The situation arises when the voters feel that of all the candidates, no one can better represent them and present their needs to the county. This may result from the previous actions of the leaders who were in leadership positions. They hence consider participating in presidential elections rather than local elections as they see no importance in the elected leaders. Furthermore, Americans believe that the leaders elected locally are under federal and state jurisdiction. For this reason, they believe that the way the local leaders perform their activities is under the influence of the power of those who are in power in the federal and state government and is something that is already planned. In this case, there is a reduction in voter turnout. The low trends depicted in the participation and voter turnout in the local elections are continuously being experienced in the United States. This generally results in an unhealthy democracy since not all people are able to exercise their voting rights. It is because only a few of the citizens turn out and vote, and eventually, the leaders chosen may not be competent enough to make sure that their concerns are met and satisfied. The Americans should hence be educated on the importance of participating in local elections since it is a sign of democracy. They will also get to elect the leader of their choice and who serves them right. References Oliver, J. E., Ha, S. E., & Callen, Z. (2012). Local elections and the politics of small-scale democracy. Princeton University Press.

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