Every election, you hear political scientists denounce the low participation rate of American voters in comparison to other countries. To put this fact into perspective, Australia, which has mandatory voting, has voter turnout rates over 80%, whereas the last midterm election here in America featured an anemic 37% turnout (!!!). That means out of every eligible voter, not general population, only about 4 out of every 10 individuals decided to turn out and cast a vote. Frankly, that is pathetic, and is in no way the way a democracy is supposed to work. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The question is: Why do Americans not care enough about our politics to take a few minutes out of  their day and cast a vote for people that will control some major aspects of their lives? For me, I believe there is a disconnect between the government and the people. The people feel that the government is not truly responsive to their needs and also feel that both parties are the same. While some of that may be slightly true, it is still so important for politicians to feel that their constituents care enough to go to the ballot box and either reelect them or decide to send them packing. With this low voter turnout, politicians can cater to the extreme sides of either party, as the activists are the types of people that vote regularly, and makes it hard for moderates of either party to win election and make bipartisan and common-sense policy that will work for all Americans.

How do we raise our voter turnout rate? I wholeheartedly support Hillary Clinton’s idea, in that we automatically register voters once they turn 18 based on their information at the Department of Motor Vehicles, as this will take away one of the major reasons why young people don’t vote. Also, states should make it possible for individuals who are away from home to vote at a polling place and only vote for positions that are statewide or country wide. That will mean that even if the individual doesn’t live in the district and isn’t eligible to vote for that specific politician, they can vote for a candidate that is consistent no matter where they are in the state or in the country. This would greatly raise voter turnout rates among college aged and individuals who travel for work, as it would remove the absentee process for many people. Also, Oregon and Colorado have recently legislated vote-by-mail voting system, which removes the typical polling places that have traditionally been all over the country in years past. Anyone who is registered and has information at the Department of Motor Vehicles is automatically given a ballot, and all that the voter has to do is fill out the form and place it back in the pre-paid postage envelope and send it back to where it came. This system has led Oregon to have some of the highest turnout rates in the entire country, and will boost turnout for years to come. Voters need to turnout to make our government more responsive.