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How do you improve voter turnout?

 
 
 
B

Blahface

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What reforms do you think would be good to improve voter turnout and help citizens to be informed and engaged in politics?

Some things are obvious. Most states have early voting and it would be good to extend it to all states. We could make both the primaries and general election days federal holidays. We could provide adequate funding for all polling stations so that nobody has to wait in huge lines.

There are many offices that most people don't really know anything about or pay attention to. Do we really need to elect judges or the treasurer? Let them be appointed by the Mayor or Governor. Being expected to make decisions in elections for offices you don't know anything about could be driving voters away and adding to voter fatique.

Many voters may not vote because they feel their vote isn't going to make a different and they think it's not worth the bother. If we changed the voting system to mitigate the problem of spoilers and made elections more competitive, we could see the creation of more powerful voting blocs and put more issues on the table. Maybe there are single issues voters that feel that their concerns aren't being addressed by either of the two parties. Maybe the only thing you care about is legalizing pot. A more fair voting system can help elect candidates who are willing to legalize it. Once these single issues voters start participating and accomplishing their goals, they may get into a habit of it and become more interested in other areas of politics. In addition, because of Gerrymandering or just the natural demographics of a district, some districts may not be competitive and there may be no point in voting at all. Changing the voting system to allow for more competition would give voters a reason to vote. You might be stuck with a candidate from one of the parties you don't like, but at least you get a chance to elect the guy who is going to punch you in the face the least.

There are also some things that may help, but are a little controversial. Oregon allows you to mail in your ballot and that has helped Oregon become one of the states with the highest voter turnout. The problem I have with this though is that it eliminates the secret ballot. It allows people around you to intimidate you into voting a certain way or you can straight out buy a vote. Maybe your boss may want to throw a ballot party in which you fill out your ballot in a group and have pizza.

Another more controversial solution is internet voting. This would definitely increase voter turnout, but it would open the door to so much fraud and there is no way you could get it to be adequately secure.

So, what are your ideas?
 
Switch to an STV (single transferable vote) system. This allows you to vote for any number of parties you wish, in order. Add up the first choices, and eliminate the least popular party. Votes for that party transfer to the next stated preference on the ballot sheet. recount, eliminate the least popular party, and so on. The one with the most votes is the winner. This allows people to express a preference for the party or candidate they actually like, without 'wasting' their vote, eliminates the effects of splitting the vote or tactical voting, and moves party politics over policy more into the hands of ordinary voters. It also gives the party that does get into power far more information about what it is the electorate actually wanted.

The reason why turnout is low is because voters don't particularly like the candidates or the policies of the parties that their votes elect.
 
Togo said:
Switch to an STV (single transferable vote) system. This allows you to vote for any number of parties you wish, in order. Add up the first choices, and eliminate the least popular party. Votes for that party transfer to the next stated preference on the ballot sheet. recount, eliminate the least popular party, and so on. The one with the most votes is the winner. This allows people to express a preference for the party or candidate they actually like, without 'wasting' their vote, eliminates the effects of splitting the vote or tactical voting, and moves party politics over policy more into the hands of ordinary voters. It also gives the party that does get into power far more information about what it is the electorate actually wanted.

The reason why turnout is low is because voters don't particularly like the candidates or the policies of the parties that their votes elect.
Click to expand...

There is still the matter of dirty money running the press full bore for candidates that rubber stamp special oil interests, gun manufacturers and military contractors, etc. Common people know enough to not waste their time on some ballots. We have no real debate of environmental or social issues in the high priced political ads. They often are smear campaigns against good people. These things turn off good people.
 
In Australia, if you are an Australian citizen (or permanent resident) and over 18 years of age, you are required to vote and fines apply for those that don't.

What you do with your vote is up to you. I was working an election once and saw some doozies - such as:

  • fuck off you are all lousy
  • drop dead
  • me
  • you
and so on.... These ones do not count.

Donkey Votes are also counted - where you number 1 - x in order from top to bottom.

But, everyone votes or the government gets a ton of money. :D (I know because I forgot to vote one year and copped a fine.)
 
Not knowing who these people are or what the issues are about is a problem in small towns. It can be difficult to dig up information. I liked in San Diego, voting by mail. I got a booklet with all the candidates and issues on the ballot. It presented a summary, argument for and against. I don't know if this increased voter turnout but it's a problem none the less. This along with shortened campaigns, advertisements only by the candidates in which the candidate must appear. A district website where voters can present/prioritize issues throughout the cycle might keep people engaged.
 
gmbteach said:
In Australia, if you are an Australian citizen (or permanent resident) and over 18 years of age, you are required to vote and fines apply for those that don't.
Click to expand...
Close but not quite. You don't have to vote, just get your name ticked off the electoral roll. You can put your unused ballots in the boxes. Waste of vote. I see so many of them each election.
gmbteach said:
What you do with your vote is up to you. I was working an election once and saw some doozies - such as:

  • fuck off you are all lousy
  • drop dead
  • me
  • you
and so on.... These ones do not count.
Click to expand...
Every election the Queen gets quite a few Senate votes. In fact she would probably beat that Rodney Muir bloke (and do a damn better job)
gmbteach said:
Donkey Votes are also counted - where you number 1 - x in order from top to bottom.
Click to expand...
Of course they are counted if valid. Numerical order is irrelevant.
gmbteach said:
But, everyone votes or the government gets a ton of money. :D (I know because I forgot to vote one year and copped a fine.)
Click to expand...
You are a silly moo. :)

The way elections are conducted in Australia these days requires a thick skin, like the armour of a battleship. All those mud & smear, digging into your past, harassment of family and friends. Turns off many otherwise fine candidates.
 
1. Stop character assassinations. Play the ball, not the man.
2. Acknowledge that people sometimes make mistakes
3. Have decent, logical, coherent policies
4, Be truthful (seems to be the hardest to do)
5. Don't make outrageous claims about yourself, your policies or your opponents
6. Remember it's not your money you are playing with
7. Don't believe ridiculous, outrageous claims (one for the electorate)
8. Don't complain if you vote for x and they get in, then suffer buyers remorse (caveat emptor). I told you so (another for the electorate)
9. Compulsory voting - force them to be free.
10. Sometimes the other side gets it right (I didn't say that, really I didn't)
 
People dont vote because they are not convinced that their vote matters. Everything from the first past the post system, money in politics, voter machine conspiracy theories, voter disenfranchisement, rigging voting boundries, etc should be looked at.

Give people.confidence that their vote matters, that democracy is more than an illusion, and more of them will vote.
 
In the USA, I think ending gerrymandering would force more competitive races which should boost voter turnout.
 
The lack of voter turnout is a vicious spiral. The fewer people there are who vote, the more power there is that goes to special interest groups, since their ability to get bodies to the polls on single issues becomes proportionally greater, and the more power goes to corporations and the rich who are willing to pay the candidates, since any translation of cash into voter drives or name recognition or the like becomes more important as less voters are needed for success. This breeds a corrupt government where it's in the politicians' best interest to narrow their focus to these groups as opposed to representing society as a whole. The more this happens, the more disengaged the electorate gets and the more power there is getting concentrated into the hands of these groups.

The only real solution to lack of voter turnout is to get voters to realize that politicians are whores and they're quite willing to whore themselves out to you instead of the other guy if you're only willing to demonstrate that it's worth their time and effort.
 
I think the real, fundamental problem, is that if say 50 million people vote, and you are only able to cast 1 vote, then you are contributing to 0.00000002% of the outcome of the election. This means that, in reality, your vote is insignificant in the grand scheme of things. Everyone knows this, whether consciously or not. What's more significant are all the other factors that go into influencing the people that actually are motivated enough to vote, and based on that things are going to go one way regardless.

All that said, if you agree that more people voting = better, then the only answer is to make it mandatory.
 
As an aside, there's an Ontario election today and Twitter is really fucking insufferable just for this 'get out and vote' reason.
 
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