Abi RodgersPersonal Responsibility Essay Political participation can be expressed in its simplest form by a citizen voting in an election.In the United States, the election is a defining characteristic of our representative democracy (Maxwell 82). By voting in elections, citizens can express their views and vote the candidates that they side with into office. However, a large percentage of the population does not take advantage of this opportunity, especially in Texas. For years, the voter turnout in Texas has been far below the national average, and “has consistently been counted among the lowest of the 50 states” (Maxwell 23). The cause of low voter turnout in Texas is greatly due to the vast number of socioeconomic factors and the political culture of Texas. Texas is a large state and plays a large role in the national, state, and local elections, and for fair representation, steps need to be taken to increase the political participation and voter turnout. Socioeconomic factors play a very important part in voter participation in Texas. In general, people who are educated, have higher incomes, and are older are the citizens that are more likely to vote. (Maxwell 82). Since Texas has more than 4 million people in poverty, this really plays a role in voter participation. With income and education being key factors in voter turnout, the minority, consisting of mostly Latinos and African Americans, is largely underrepresented. This hurts the Democratic Party, however as more of the minority becomes educated, the voter participation is beginning to increase. The political structure, including the length of the ballot and number of elections, is also another deterrent to voting in Texas (Maxwell 91). Voters often do not want to go out and vote for up to 50 or more offices, and for candidates they might not even know. A form of valid Maxwell, Earl, et al. Texas Politics Today. Centage Learning, 2013-2014.identification is also required to vote. In 2011, the Voting Rights Act was enacted, forcing voters to show a state driver’s license, a concealed handgun license, a U.S. passport, and military ID, or a U.S. citizenship certificate. This act has been a large factor in voter participation because not everybody has a valid form of ID. Texas citizens are also required to register to vote, and with that comes other responsibilities such as jury duty. Often, citizens do not want to go through the trouble to register or renew their form of identification, so they compensate by just not participating. To increase voter participation, these procedures should be made easier if Texas wants to see an increase in the voter turnout. Overall, if Texas wants to see an increase in voter participation, elections should be made more voter friendly and accessible. Steps could be taken such as shortening the length of the ballots and having less strict voting laws that discriminate against the minority voters. However, some circumstances are uncontrollable such as the large percentage of people living in poverty. None the less, participating in elections, whether they be local elections, state elections, or national elections is very important. Our government in Texas is a democracy and it is based on the participation of the citizens. Therefore, for equal representation to exist and for citizens to be pleased, it is up to us to go out and vote for the politicians that we want in office. Ultimately, to increase voter participation, it is up to us to make the change and to make Texas a pleasant, fair state to live in. Maxwell, Earl, et al. Texas Politics Today. Centage Learning,