The United States currently faces a severe problem with one of their governmental processes. In the democratic system of the United States, politicians are elected by voting from the citizens, in most cases. The problem the United States is facing is that people are no longer voting in elections for officials. This problem is discussed in the article, “In praise of low voter turnout”, written by Charles Krauthammer. The main idea behind this article is that voters are no longer interested in politics, as they were in previous generations. As the United States establishes itself as a superpower, the need for politics becomes less important to the citizens. Also, we are experiencing a shift in focus to developing more technology and building …show more content…
However, there are several ways to combat this problem. One way to get more voters to show up at the polls is have election officials mail ballots to all registered voters. This makes it easy for registered voters to select their candidates on their own time. This method to obtain more voters is in place in two states currently, Oregon and Washington. This method has proved effective because “in the 2010 midterm elections, just [Oregon and Washington] exceed 70 percent participation” (Koas). Another solution to the low voter turnout would be to allow citizens to cast their votes online. Although this is susceptible to fraud, they can limit the votes per person by only allowing one vote per IP address or by issuing each registered voter an account login. This method would allow people to cast their vote in a matter of minutes at their own time. The last suggestion that could increase voter turnout would be removing the registration process to vote. Younger voters are not familiar with the voting registration process or they think it is too complicated. This unfamiliarity and thought of the process being confusing deters the younger people from registering to vote in the first place. By removing this process, voters can just show up to cast their votes and move on with their day without worrying about this potentially confusing process. These three methods combined could increase the voter turnout for each
To remedy the digital divide, people are allowed to request a paper ballot to be sent to their residence. This applies to civic engagement, because it may be important for people who are trying to get others involved to use online and paper methods. After the study was completed, Cann found that there is very little difference between the knowledge gained from the paper voter guide and the postcard. Cann used several measurements of knowledge to determine how voters gained information from the two methods. Measurements included recognition on the ballot, recall of candidate names, recognition of candidate information, ballot issue information, combined with subjectiveness level of informedness and voter turnout rates.
Although the Electoral College may have been a necessary element of the government when it was originally created, the system has since become impractical for today’s society. The will of the people is now far better expressed through the resulting popular vote than the electorate of the Electoral College. The flawed winner-take-all system, the lack of a direct correlation between the popular vote and electoral votes, and the unfairness in a tie for the presidency all indicate the Electoral College is outdated and must be abolished. In the current electoral system, the slightest majority in a particular state means all of the votes in that state are given to the candidate that wins the majority.
Hey jackson! I completely agree what you said in your discussion. The low voter turnout should not be worried about and that it is a good thing in general. The people should not vote if they are not interested or are not educated on the election. As you said, If you introduce and educate the people on politics this should help the low voter turnout in time.
Days before Election Day we can’t know who will win the presidency. But we can know with near certainty that voter turnout will be abysmal and that the results will be not so much a mandate as a skewed sampling of about half the electorate. Many reforms could increase turnout, from same-day registration to voting on weekends. But the most basic is also the most appropriate: making voting mandatory. Here’s why.
Voting is one of the many civic duties, as an American citizen, that is the most exercised. In the recent years, the voter turnout has increased from the previous years, but the turnout is still less than desired. In the 2008 presidential election alone, 61.7% of the eligible United States population voted and 53.7% of the eligible Texan population voted. This is much better than previous years, but still does not show a collective effort on the part of all eligible populations to vote. Americans have been known to have low voter turnouts.
Like Richard Nixon, I also feel like America’s new voters will always the key to our country’s brighter future. The younger generation of voters are not only more enthusiastic, but also have more of an understanding of what our continuously-evolving world needs. Based on their experiences, they know what type of government policies work and didn’t, and would also know the best types to solutions to fix this problem. I think that voting is extremely important factor to maintain a functional democracy and is a great way to figure out what our people need. I feel like our government should increase the voting turnout by not only making the voting registration process easier, but also by publicizing and educating the American people about local
In the world of politics, voting is one of the most vital aspects to politicians, the local community, and the state. It gives the people who live in the communities a chance to let their voice and opinions be heard through their choice of who they want to represent them in political office or to take care of their town or city. Although many share this opinion, there are people who do not care to vote and do not get involved in politics. What is the underlying reason for this group of people to distance themselves from political affairs? Registering to vote can be a deterrent for many people because it requires effort to file all the correct paperwork and stay in good standing, which may be the cause for low voter turnout within Texas.
There are several reasons for the low voter turnout at elections in the United States compared to the rest of the world, but the main reasons have to do with the culture. The current generation is growing up in a period of liberty, equality, and democracy. They are enjoying the fruits of uprisings done by their ancestors to secure civil rights and liberties such as voting rights. This makes it hard for them to appreciate and value their voting rights. For them it is part of their political system and they can do whatever they want with it.
The serious lack of voter turnout contradicts this responsibility. There are individuals who speculate that it would be beneficial to make voting mandatory, with repercussions for those who do not vote. At the beginning of the course, I had believed that voting should be made mandatory. I thought that it would inspire people to vote, and would increase the numbers of turnout that way.
Mandatory voting makes large numbers of people vote, which will make the country run more efficiently because the election was based on the hopes and aspiration of the people for the future leader. Voting should be made compulsory because its positive effects exceeds its negative
“ While compulsion of any kind is a restriction, so is the compulsion to drive only on the right side of the road.” ( “Is It Time To Consider Mandatory Voting Laws? Worsening Voting Statistics Make a Strong Case.” by John W. Dean.) One way voter turnout can increase is by compulsory (required) voting.
In 2012, the year of the latest presidential election in the United States, the population of citizens capable and legally allowed to vote was 235,248,000; however, only 129,235,000 voted, making the voter turnout of 2012 54.9%. This statistic, being only slightly over fifty percent, makes the opinion of the other half completely irrelevant. The outcomes of the presidential election do not accurately portray the opinion of the nation due to the low voter turnout. Due to the lack of time, the complication of registration, and the opinion of voters that their individual vote does not matter, the voter turnout of the United States has been negatively impacted; however, these issues can be resolved through effective means of changing the mindset
However, one of the key characteristics of a healthy democracy is a high voter-turnout. If people do not turn up on Election Day, it is likely that they do not see the point of holding elections or the conditions are not suitable for them to vote. People vote because they believe that their vote has the power to make changes in the country. Voter apathy often develops when voters do not see voting as a way of voicing their concerns. America therefore continues to tread on risky ground, if a way of increasing voter turnout is not found.
when talking abou politic, voting is an important thing to do, but there is a controversi abot it. On one side of the contoversi thre are the people who support the idea of lowering the voting age from 18 to 16. On the other side there are the people who do not support the idea of lowering the voting age fom 18 to 16. On the side of the people who do not support the idea of lowering the voting age from 18 to 16 states that "Most younger voters do not bother to vote at all" nowadays mots younger people rather to play video games or navegate on social medias, they don't have time to think about the future of their contry. With this in mind, why would we want people who don't have time to think about the futre of their contry to vote.
There are many ways of Getting a higher pecent of voters, it could just take a few simple changes. Many younger people already choose not to participate in voting. People from the ages of 18-24 are the least likely to vote, causing the percentage of voters to drop. Most of the younger percent of the population does not keep up on current events or show a disintrest in political events,