How to increaser Voter turnout

8/11/2019 How to increaser Voter turnout

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George Alvin Garcia (gag923)

Eric McDaniel, Daron Shaw

8:30 9:45 AM

April 23, 2014

Increasing Election Turnout Rates

In the United States of America, elections are an essential part of

government. Because a democracy is a form of rule by the people in which elected

agents represent the population, the election system is a significant component of a

democratic structure (Kollman, 341). By having the opportunity to elect officials,

citizens of the U.S. have an important role in determining who runs the government.

While having the privilege of electing their representatives, evidence shows that

many citizens do not exercise their right to vote (McDaniel, 2014). However,

changing some aspects of elections may allow voters to become more mobilized

towards participating in elections. By analyzing possible changes regarding

institutional factors that affect the cost of participating in the election process, such

as voting frequency, timing of elections, and a possible Internet voting reform, I will

discuss how to possibly increase turnout rates throughout various levels of voting.

One way in which voting turnouts rates can be maximized is by changing the

frequency and timing of local elections. Because there are several elections

throughout the local, state, and federal levels, it is inconvenient for citizens to

participate in every single one. As a result, the cost of engaging in voting activities is


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significantly high. Moreover, hosting elections during weekdays, which also happen

to be workdays for many, also makes it highly costly for people to vote. With the

combined high frequency of elections and unfavorable timing, the likelihood of

citizens voting decreases significantly.

To illustrate this further, the negative effects of these current institutional

factors can be analyzed using the Updated Calculus of Voting discussed in lecture

(McDaniel, 2014). The Updated Calculus of Voting is an equation,R = pB C + D,

in whichRis the probability that voter will vote,pis the probability of the vote

mattering,Bis the utility benefit of the vote, C is the cost of voting andD is the

citizens goodwill feeling (McDaniel, 2014). If calculations result in a positiveR, a

person will be more likely to vote; and if calculations result in a negativeR, then a

person will be less likely vote. When equalizing all variables, except for C, it is

noticeable that the costs of voting can influence voter turnout rates. More

specifically, when the C value is decreased, it is more probable the value ofRwill be

positive. In our case, changing the frequency and timing of local elections in order to

decrease the costs of voting, C, would in turn increase the voting rates.

Once again, structuring voting systems in which people can cast various

votes at once during a convenient time would produce a favorable turnout in

elections. This can be achieved by matching up elections as much as possible and by

making them on weekends. While it may just not be possible to combine all of the

voting processes, it is certainly possible to combine some. As an example, certain


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local elections can be aligned to match congressional elections and/or presidential

elections. As far as choosing appropriate days for voting, that is something that is a

change that is simple and very approachable. Overall, clustering certain elections and

choosing appropriate days for voting would result in an increased voting turnout.

Another way to increase voting turnout is by supplementing the voting

system with the possibility to vote online. Having the option to vote online would

significantly improve the amount of people who participate in the election process.

Moreover, an online voting system can be particularly appealing to young

Americans, which are the heaviest Internet users. Because younger Americans are

still significantly less likely to vote than older Americans (Kollman, 340), having

the choice to vote online would significantly boost turnout rates among the younger

generation of citizens who have not significantly participated as much as others since

the history of voting data can show (Kollman, 343). An online voting system could

also boost turnout rates by allowing people, including military personnel, to vote

when they are out of the country. Perhaps most importantly, an online voting option

would allow those citizens who are disabled to cast a vote from the comfort of their

homes. Generally, an online voting alternative would increase the accessibility of

voting and mitigate some costs associated with voting.

In regards to the Updated Calculus of Voting discussed previously, using an

online election system would virtually eliminate several costs, C, for citizens

consisting from many voting groups. Specifically, an online voting system would


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reduce costs, C, that include traveling setbacks, time consumption, and utilities

consumed. As a result, this would dramatically increase the likeliness of people to

vote,R.

On the other hand, there are several counter-arguments that should be

carefully examined when considering an online voting platform. The susceptibility

of an online voting system being hacked is equally realistic as it is dangerous.

However, going back a couple of years ago to when e-commerce was being

implemented, there were similar doubts regarding the security of online money

trading. Security challenges were overcome, however, and today wealth is being

amassed through the Internet by online stores, business, and banks all around the

world (Merchant 2011). By devoting the same drive for security developments that

was developed for e-commerce, online voting systems can become operational by

minimizing the risk of unauthorized breechings. Moreover, if the government can

spend a significantly large amount of resources towards implementing mass

surveillance programs, then it can also spend on creating a voting online system that

could actually be beneficial for the public. Of course, it is impossible to say that an

online voting system could potentially be free of any errors or random mishaps, but

the same thing can arguably be said about our current voting system.

Now lets consider if such a possibility can even be approachable. In terms of

technology, I believe that an online voting option can be attainable if security

setbacks are eliminated. Another issue regarding the implementation of an online


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How to increaser Voter turnout

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