1. POL 101: U.S. Government
Dr. Kevin Lasher

2. Low Turnout in the United States

3. Individual Factors Old people vote more than young people
Highly educated individuals vote more than less educated individuals
Wealthy people vote more than poor people.
Partisans/ideologues vote more than non-partisans.

4. US Turnout in Last Twenty Years
50-59% in presidential elections
30-39% in off-year elections
Voting Age Population (VAP) Figures
kkkkkkkkkk

5. Systemic Factors Nature of elections Weak political parties
Tuesday Voting
Registration laws
Apathetic citizens

6. Nature of elections
kkkkkkkkkk

7. kkkkkkkkkk

8. Nature of elections Numerous elections and many offices
“Election overload”
Educational differences point to the complexity of American elections
Parliamentary systems may have one or two votes
Multi-party systems have higher turnout than two party systems
kkkkkkkkkk

9. Weak Political Parties
kkkkkkkkkk
Republicans and Democrats are NOT in the “turnout maximization” business; they are in the business of winning elections

10. Weak Political Parties
100 million voters
110 million voters
120 million voters
kkkkkkkkkk
Get 50.1%

11. Weak Political Parties
Dem 43% Dem 34%
Indep 23% Indep 40%
Repub 32% Repub 26%
kkkkkkkkkk

12. Weak Political Parties
kkkkkkkkkk
Independents are much less likely to vote on election day than partisans (Republicans or Democrats)

13. Weak Political Parties
Both parties have put more emphasis on voter mobilization in the last years; may account for slight increase in turnout in last few elections
kkkkkkkkkk

14. Tuesday Voting Raises “costs” of voting
1872 congressional law placing second Tuesday in November
Many countries vote on week-ends
Create a National Voting Day (every two years)
Holiday or week-end voting might increase turnout by 5-7%
kkkkkkkkkk

15. Registration Laws You must be registered to vote in order to vote
“Costly” to register
Used to be many restrictions on registration (most eliminated)
It is VERY EASY to register to vote in 2019
1993 Motor Voter Law which enabled registration in many government offices
kkkkkkkkkk

16. Registration Laws Registration rates have risen
BUT percentage of registered who actually vote has fallen
So easy to register that we have included a lot of “iffy” potential voters
kkkkkkkkkk

17. Same Day Registration
kkkkkkkkkk

18. Same Day Registration Nine states used SDR in 2012 election
SDR States 69%
Non-SDR States 58%
Every state using SDR would add 5-7% in overall turnout
kkkkkkkkkk

19. Same Day Registration States with highest turnout in 2012
MINNESOTA* 76.4%
WISCONSIN* 72.9%
NEW HAMPSHIRE* 70.9%
IOWA* %
MAINE* 69.3%
Vermont %
Maryland %
Virginia %
* SDR state
kkkkkkkkkk

20. Apathetic Citizens No mandatory voting in US
People are free to exercise their “right” to not vote
kkkkkkkkkk

21. Apathetic Citizens
Alienated citizens who are turned off by the nature of political campaigns or who honestly do not like the two main choices they are given
These alienated voters could be “mobilized” with better campaigns (or better candidates)
kkkkkkkkkk

22. Apathetic Citizens
kkkkkkkkkk
Truly apathetic citizens who do not care about politics
Nothing will convince these people to participate (and that isn’t necessarily a bad thing)

23. Apathetic Citizens 80 - 85 % Turnout ?
“Perfect voting turnout system” ….
% Turnout ?
kkkkkkkkkk

24. The End