David Misyura – Practicum 1

After having read the first two chapters of our textbook, the idea of civic duty should be familiar in the minds of my students. In the above video, this very process can be seen in action. In Virginia Beach, Virginia, a long line of voters is seen making its way into an early-voting location. Some of those voters are interviewed by the local news crew, and those voters give their personal reasons for choosing to vote early, rather than on Election Day. One lady said she chose to vote because she wasn’t sure if she would be up for the task come Election Day because of an upcoming surgery. Another man stated that he didn’t have much else to do that day, so he decided to cast an early ballot that day. Additionally, one important detail to note about this video is that it’s a general election during the first year of the current pandemic, so it’s somewhat different than elections of yesteryears. This election focused more on providing alternative methods of voting besides in-person on Election Day, so they made sure to allow voting-by-mail and in-person early voting. In the video, this latter method is shown, and despite the fact that it’s just a line for casting early votes, the line still ended up extremely long.

This video perfectly illustrates the core concept of civic duty in America because it shows an early voting line in action, without excessive narration or explanation. Everyone there had enough motivation, one way or another, to stand in line for at least an hour to eventually cast their ballot. As explained in the first two chapters, the backbone of any democracy, whatever variation, is its citizens casting ballots in order to direct change. In our American Republic, these voters are voting for local and state policies, as well choosing whom they wish to represent themselves in the local, state, and federal stages. They each understand that their ballot will be counted towards those policies and politicians, and that their ballot may not result in change if it’s not counted in the majority vote.

Questions for Students:

1. What process is shown in the video that provides the backbone of our American Republic?
2. What cultural values could motivate the people in the video to spend over an hour waiting in a line?
3. Should it be demotivating to know that a person’s vote might not result in the change they want?
4. Can you think of any improvements that could be made to future elections to avoid the situation in the video?
5. Is voter apathy among the biggest problems in our modern political culture?

“Tell me a little about how completing this assignment felt. Do you think I  should use this assignment in the future?”

Completing this assignment felt alright. Formatting text within WordPress is frustrating for me because it’s hiding so many options, but besides that, it seems to all work. I think this assignment could be continued to be used into the future.