Voter Turnout

There is a common understanding both in our class and within society as a whole that the United States has a low voter turnout. After, reading chapter 10, I have become increasingly curious as to why this is the case. I was actually surprised to read that voter turnout has decreased so dramatically from when it as at nearly 80% until 1986. According to a pew study, the US ranks 31st out of 35 countries for voter turnout rates based on the voting age populace. There are countless suggestions as to why this is the case, but it can be summed up by two ideas we discussed in class: apathy and satisfaction. In my mind, neither of these things should be a valid reason not to vote. There is almost no question that voting is something that is inherently good. Our society is founded on each person having a vote and having them all count equally. What if, as the US, we adopted some form of compulsory voting? While this may seem to go against what we as free and proud Americans stand for, it could be necessary and helpful in accomplishing an ultimately more important goal: listening to the voices of all our citizens.

While this idea might seem foreign in concept, it is more common than one may think. According to the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance, 31 countries have some for of mandatory voting rules. The most relevant example for in considering compulsory voting for the United States is Australia. In 1922, after their voting rate fell under 60%, they decided to enforce voting with various fines- although they tended to be only as much as a parking ticket. To this day, their voter turnout rates are remarkably around 90%. This helped the country transition from seeing voting as a choice to an obligation. In America, I think we often see voting as something we could do but not necessarily should do. Yet, in my mind, there is no reason not to vote. Our country thrives on hearing everyone’s voice: this is how we can avoid a tyranny of the majority. In addition, mandatory voting would help ensure the voice of the minority is heard. Currently, the people who do not vote tend to be similar in terms of demographics: low income, uneducated, immigrants, etc.. Since they are not often voting, their voices are rarely heard and this ends up hurting them.

Personally, I do not know if this mandatory voting would really be a good thing. But, I think there is no question that something needs to change. Citizens need to vote more and care about the issues. In 2016, only 55.7% of the voting age population voted- this means that nearly half our country did not use their voices. These numbers are even more staggering for off year elections, such as those for the house of representatives. In the 2014 midterm elections, only 34.6% of eligible people voted. These numbers are staggering, and we clearly need to work together as a country to find a solution.

https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/voter-turnout-united-states

http://www.fairvote.org/voter_turnout#voter_turnout_101

6 Responses to "Voter Turnout"

Helen Spiller says:

November 2, 2017 at 10:04 pm

I certainly agree with you that voter turnout is a serious problem in the United States. Voters should certainly recognize the amazing privilege we have in the United States and cast a ballot and let their voice be heard in government. However, I do think it is also important to note that perhaps the lack of voting is actually the citizens way of making their voice be heard in government. Like you stated, with only 55% of Americans voting, that shows an extremely strong message to the government of the level of apathy in the American public. Sure, many of those simply aren’t educated enough to vote or have the means to get to a poll, but many simply choose not to make the effort, it simply is not worth it to them. This could mean that Americans don’t see their voice being represented or they do not like the way the government is being lead. Or, as we recently learned, they perhaps just do not like the negative news media. All in all, while I definitely agree with you that the lack of voting is an issue, I think it is also important to see if perhaps the lack of voting is actually the message and voice that these citizens are expressing.
Allison McLaughlin says:

November 5, 2017 at 4:12 pm

I think you made some extremely important points regarding the problem of the U.S. having a low voter turnout. I think that the consequences of having such a low voter turnout rate are depicted perfectly by the results of the 2016 election. So many people are so angry about the fact that Trump won the election and many question how America could have let this happen. The answer to this lies in the fact that when the voter turnout rate is so low, it is the voice of radicals that is heard the loudest. People are so angry at our government right now, but I think it makes more sense to be angry at ourselves. While low voter turnout may be a result of people standing up against the administration because they are so disillusioned by negative news media, corrupt politicians, etc., it is impractical for them to think that not voting will have any positive effect on our country. I think this election should be a strong motivator for the next election, showing people that they can’t sit back and expect our democracy to work properly without people’s involvement. The base of our democracy rests on the ideal of the sovereignty of the people and that the government is for the people and by the people. Citizens right now do not see our government as being for them, but I think we all have to realize that if our government is going to be directly for us, it must also be created directly by us, which is not the case when so many citizens do not vote.
Allison McLaughlin says:

November 5, 2017 at 4:12 pm

I think you made some extremely important points regarding the problem of the U.S. having a low voter turnout. I think that the consequences of having such a low voter turnout rate are depicted perfectly by the results of the 2016 election. So many people are so angry about the fact that Trump won the election and many question how America could have let this happen. The answer to this lies in the fact that when the voter turnout rate is so low, it is the voice of radicals that is heard the loudest. People are so angry at our government right now, but I think it makes more sense to be angry at ourselves. While low voter turnout may be a result of people standing up against the administration because they are so disillusioned by negative news media, corrupt politicians, etc., it is impractical for them to think that not voting will have any positive effect on our country. I think this election should be a strong motivator for the next election, showing people that they can’t sit back and expect our democracy to work properly without people’s involvement. The base of our democracy rests on the ideal of the sovereignty of the people and that the government is for the people and by the people. Citizens right now do not see our government as being for them, but I think we all have to realize that if our government is going to be directly for us, it must also be created directly by us, which is not the case when so many citizens do not vote.
Katherine Fell says:

November 5, 2017 at 9:42 pm

While I agree with you in that low voter turnout has become dangerously low win this country, I’m not sure if making voting in this country a mandatory practice is a good idea. As we discussed in class, many people won’t vote simply because they are too apathetic or the costs of voting outweigh the benefits. If the government were to make it so that voting was mandatory, and not optional, they are adding a cost to what it means to abstain from voting, creating a greater incentive for people to go out and cast their ballot on Election Day. This rule’s benefits could prove to be even more costly to those who already are struggling. In America, many eligible voters won’t vote not because they don’t care or don’t want to go through the trouble that it takes to get to their local voting station. Other people maybe won’t vote because they cannot afford to time and money that it takes to vote. Either they can’t afford to lose the hourly wages that they could be earning at their job or they can’t afford the multiple buses that they need to get to their local voting station. The difference between these people and those who are too apathetic to vote is that the people who are too apathetic are exercising their choice to not vote, whereas the people who can’t afford to vote don’t have a choice in the matter at all, and can’t afford to sacrifice the time and money that it would take to vote. By imposing a tax, for instance, on the people who are already struggling to keep everything together, and then punishing them for not having the means to cast a vote, seems to be something that the government should not have the power to do. While making voting a mandatory practice in this country might raise turnout, I think it should ultimately not be allowed because of the consequences that are placed on the already disenfranchised.
Camryn Travis says:

November 5, 2017 at 10:11 pm

I think you are bringing up a very important point with low voter turnout in America. I agree that a compulsory vote would be a great solution to increase voter participation in the United States, but I do hesitate in believing that it could ever be productively implemented in American society. Before any sort of required voting laws could be enacted, it would be important to lower the cost for voters. For starters, holding elections on a Tuesday makes it extremely difficult for working individuals to participate in votes. Although polling places are often open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., travel time and waiting time may force people to call out of work to vote. If voting days were moved to the weekend, more people would have time and put in less cost to be able to vote. Another problem that would need to be solved before having a required vote is transportation. Some people’s voting sites are too far away to walk, and may not be accessible by public transportation. If those people do not have access to a car then they most pay for a ride to go vote. Although the idea of a compulsory vote sounds amazing, there are some technical details regarding accessibility that must be addressed before requiring citizens to vote.
Alice Depasse says:

November 14, 2017 at 11:08 pm

As already mentioned above, low turnout is an issue within the United Sates and one solution could be to enforce mandatory voting. However, this could bring other problems to the table, for example people voting without being fully informed. This has already been seen by voters from both parties, where they are adamant that they are either starkly in support or against a particular candidate, yet are not able to accurately answer questions about the policies of those candidates.
People can often be influenced by people in their environment, whether it is family or colleagues, and therefore are not voting on behalf of their beliefs, but more so on the opinions of others. By making voting mandatory, I worry that this would become even more common. People who would not vote otherwise, are unlikely to educate themselves on these policies to the point of making an informed decision. Therefore, it is possible that they would simply ask people around them who to vote for and this would not help the country better represent a larger part of the population.
The purpose of voting is to allow people the opportunity to express their opinions. As someone mentioned already, perhaps the incredibly low turn out was a way for individuals to express their distaste of the media or politics. Therefore, perhaps in the future we could have a box that represents a lack of support for any candidate. People would therefore be expressing their views and opinions in a slightly different way. This way we could better understand the number of people who are not voting due to not wanting to vote for the options available, and the number of people who are simply not voting.

Sources
http://www.theblaze.com/contributions/poll-reveals-voters-are-uninformed-about-major-issues

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