In the current American political environment, the complexity of democracy is becoming more and more obvious, especially in the context of the 2024 election. In order to explore this complex situation in depth, this article aims to analyze the evolution of American election laws, voter behavior patterns, and the future direction of democracy. The mentioned ballots, voter turnout, and the role of Latino voters are all important factors that affect election results and the health of democracy.
In the current American political environment, the complexity of democracy is becoming more and more obvious, especially in the context of the 2024 election. In order to explore this complex situation in depth, this article aims to analyze the evolution of American election laws, voter behavior patterns, and the future direction of democracy. The mentioned ballots, voter turnout, and the role of Latino voters are all important factors that affect election results and the health of democracy.
The ballot is not only a symbol of democracy, but also a way for voters to express their will. According to statistics, the voter turnout in 2020 reached 67%, and the voter turnout in 2024 is expected to reach about 60%. This figure is relatively high historically, but still lower than the level of some other countries. Behind this phenomenon, it reflects the complexity and diversity of American election laws. Each state can set its own election rules, resulting in voters facing different obstacles when voting. For example, the voter ID laws and absentee voting restrictions implemented in some states may confuse or overwhelm some voters, thus affecting their willingness to vote.
As a rapidly growing group in the US population, the voting behavior and preferences of Latino voters cannot be underestimated in terms of their influence on election results. According to a 2022 survey by the Pew Research Center, Latino voters showed diverse voting preferences in the 2024 presidential election, forcing the two major parties to re-examine their election strategies. Both the Democratic and Republican parties realize that the single concept of "Latino votes" can no longer cover the complexity of this group. Different Latino communities have unique needs and concerns in culture, economy and politics, which requires parties to adopt more targeted strategies when mobilizing voters.
The Three-Fifth Compromise was once the most shameful system for Americans. At first, American slaves could not vote, but because the number of representatives in each state was calculated based on population, whether black slaves were counted as "population" was a big controversy at the time. Slave states certainly hoped that black slaves could be counted as people, but other states did not. In the end, the two sides reached a so-called three-fifths compromise, counting black people as 3/5 of a person. The earliest constitution had a special clause (Article 1, Section 2, Clause 3), in which the "other population" referred to black slaves:
This provision had a great influence on American politics before Lincoln, giving the southern slave states a great advantage in elections. The three-fifths compromise did not become invalid until the abolition of slavery in 1865, and its original text in the Constitution was not amended until the 14th Amendment in 1868. Another defect in the early electoral system was also extremely strange. In the earliest American elections, the party system was not very obvious, and politicians mostly ran for president independently. The constitution stipulates that the person with the most votes will be president, and the second most votes will be vice president. The fatal mistake of this provision was that at that time, the two votes of the electoral college could be cast for one person, regardless of the president and vice president. In other words, the president and vice president could have different political positions and could openly quarrel. Since Washington was obviously the president in the first two elections, everyone was actually just running for vice president, and they were all relatively implicit. It was not until 1796 when Washington stepped down that President John Adams and Vice President Thomas Jefferson. The two people represented different political parties and fought against each other every day after taking office. Only then did everyone realize that there was a bug in the Constitution. This bug was not fixed until 1804 by the 12th Amendment. From then on, the two votes of the Electoral College must be cast for the president and vice president respectively, which eventually led to the formation of the current running mate-style election activities.
In addition, voter participation is not only restricted by the law, but also affected by the social and cultural background. Young voters especially need more incentives and support to increase their voting rate. By creating a positive voting atmosphere, providing convenient voting channels, and strengthening the promotion of voters' rights, their participation can be effectively improved.
