Americans assume that free, fair, and credible elections are essential to democracy. They also assume that citizens are free to vote the way they want, and that therefore election results reflect the public will.
Voting is also seen as a civic responsibility, something that all eligible Americans should do, though they are not compelled to do so by law. And, for Americans, determination of eligibility to vote should be based on factors such as citizenship, residence, and age, not race, gender, income, or religion. Free elections go along with other basic freedoms, such as speech, religion, and assembly.
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