…or lack thereof Voter Turnout. The Nonvoting Problem? Alleged problem: low voter turnout in U.S....
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Transcript of …or lack thereof Voter Turnout. The Nonvoting Problem? Alleged problem: low voter turnout in U.S....
…or lack thereof
Voter Turnout
The Nonvoting Problem?Alleged problem: low voter turnout in U.S.
compared to EuropeBut perhaps not as much of a problem as we think
Real problem is low voter registration rates Data tends to compare turnout of voting age
population rather than voting eligible population
Remember, voting is not the only method of participation
Change in Control
States initially decided who could vote and for which offices
Through various laws and constitutional amendments, Congress has reduced state prerogatives 15th Amendment (1870)“Grandfather Clause” declared unconstitutional
191519th Amendment (1920)23rd Amendment (1961)Voting Rights Act of 196526th Amendment (1971)
National standards now govern most aspects of voter eligibility
Voter TurnoutTwo theories regarding declining
percentages of eligible adults who vote1. Real decline caused by lessening popular interest and decreasing party mobilization
2. Apparent decline caused by more honest ballot countsoParties once printed ballots and controlled
countingoBallots were cast in publicoVoter eligibility rules were easily circumvented
“Vote early and often”
Voter Turnout
Several causes probably contribute to a real declineMore difficult registrationNo uniform national voting system
(yeah, we’re looking at you, Florida)
Calculation of turnout- is there really a drop?
Some scholars believe that non-voters mirror voters so their absence has little effect on election outcomes.