Voter Turnout In The United States

Voter Turnout In The United States
Voter participation and turnout is the percentage of eligible voters that vote in elections. The voter
turnout has decreased since the 1960's. In 2014, the voter turnout during the election season was the
lowest in the history of the United States. That's about 36% of registered–to–vote individuals
actually voted. Far behind the last time we had the lowest turnout which was almost 40% in 1942.
Presidential elections tend to have a much higher voter participation. In 2012, 58% of registered
voters cast their ballot for president.
In the United States, campaign financing is financing for electoral campaigns at all governmental
levels (federal, state, and local). The cost for elections steadily rises year after year, making
candidates obligated to accept donations and contributions to their campaign. States regulate
finances and contributions made by setting limits to how much can be received by a certain group or
individual person. Another is disclosure, which means they are required to report the amount of
contributions made. Lastly, public financing in elections; meaning that states manage expenses in
elections and candidates receive public funds ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
It makes elections fair for voters and the candidates. The United States practices the ways of a
democratic system. A democracy means a system of government where the power is bestowed on
the American people, electing representatives to represent their federal, state, or local government.
I do not think that elections should solely be financed by tax dollars, I feel there are more important
things that our tax dollars should be spent on. Some examples of what I mean by more important
things are: financing the military, financing non–profit organizations like the American Red Cross,
money for social security and Medicare, educations, transportation, etc. If a candidate wants to win
an election they should have to get majority of their money from
... Get more on HelpWriting.net ...

Decline In Voter Turnout
The decline in voter turnout at the turn of the century has always been a concern for politicians and
scholars alike. The very fact that voters are responsible for changing or keeping the country's
leadership means that this development should be a concern not only to a few individuals but also to
the whole nation. The government, political parties, and focus and interest groups have tried to find
ways to increase the motivation to vote while easing the voting process. However, these methods
have been less successful than expected. While the motivation to vote relies on factors such as the
attributes of voters, political socialization, and electoral laws and rules, the impact of political
parties and their aspirants supersedes any strategy ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
148). In essence, every voter has some political beliefs and values that often influence the way he or
she views political parties, candidates, and ideals. Some conservative people tend to vote to
Republican, while some people tend to vote Democratic. Voters have their own political attitudes,
and these attitudes determine how society goes, whom they are voting for, and what kind of political
parties they are supporting. Many elements have the ability to contribute the political attitudes, such
as family, gender, education, income, religion, age, race, and etc. According to Ginsberg et al., the
first place where people start forming their beliefs on politics is their families and society (148).
This idea explains the reason some areas in the U.S. have more Democratic representatives while
others have the majority of their residents being Republicans. The fact that most people possess
these ideals means that in the event that the candidates in a ballot do not have the qualities that a
particular group of voters is looking for, these voters will not partake in voting. When the impact of
race in political socialization is factored in, it becomes increasingly evident that some people of one
race are unlikely to spend their time voting for a candidate who does not represent their beliefs
pertaining to racial issues. For instance, African Americans' perception of the extent of racism is
different from that of whites. This has a significant bearing on the motivation of voters from each
divide to participate in an election (Ginsberg et al.

Low Voter Stereotypes
It is believed that higher voter turnout favors the Democratic candidate. If turnout is high, then it
would be expected that the percentage of Democratic votes would be high as well. This theory is
based on the idea that Democrats have less of a voter turnout than Republicans, so low voter turnout
would be beneficial to Republican candidates. This paper will explore this theory and will utilize
data in order to confirm if this is, in fact, the case. This paper will also look into other reasons that
might contribute to a higher percent Democratic vote, such as the percentage of African Americans
in a state due to the fact that African American people tend to vote for the Democratic candidate. For
this study, the hypothesis is that with a higher

Voter Id Issues
What are the significant issues related to the recent revisions to voter ID laws?
The IDs help from impersonation and that makes a lot of people confidence in the election process.
They feel that it is important that voter's proof of identity requirements is essential to avoid voter
fraud and protect election honesty. By doing that many Americans don't have the requirements to
obtain a government voter Id because of low income. Many Americans don't have the funds to pay
for the mandatory documents needed to secure a government–issued photo ID. The people has the
right to vote because its protected by more constitutional amendments. By putting restriction such as
requiring Ids when many Americans can't afford them leaving them out from voting

Voter Turnout? Essay
Voter turnout has been declining in the United States throughout history through the potential voters'
personal choice not to vote and ineligibility. According to research a large percentage of individuals
are not voting because political parties fail to appeal to the voters and this leads to the voting
population losing interest in the campaign, while others postpone registering and by the time they
realize their delay the election is upon them.
This downward trend of voter turnout can be traced to the reforms of the Progressive era. Turnout in
post–Progressive era America remained low, never reaching the levels attained before the
Progressive era reforms. This would be expected, since there is little in the political history of these
... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
(López, Gratschew, and Adimi, 2002, 61). US turnout rates have dropped from 65 to 55 percent in
the 1960s and 1970s (Teixeira, 1987). Political parties' failure to rouse and excite potential voters
and get them to the polls is lowering voter turnout (Greenberg, and Page, 2009). Case in point,
turnout in midterm congressional elections are substantially lower than turnout in presidential
elections. Since 1960 the mean turnout in presidential elections is proximately 55 percent, while
over the same period turnout in midterm elections is approximately 41 percent (Hill, 2006, 94).
Mark Franklin and Diana Evans article on voter turnout argue that turnout in congressional midterm
elections is lower because they are "second order" elections that choose officials to a level of
government that is not directly responsible for governing the nations, "but whose outcomes are
structured entirely by considerations relevant to the outcomes of first order elections, which are
directly responsible for the governance of the nation" (Franklin and Evans 2000, 97). Given that
these elections are considered less important, fewer voters tend to show up. These midterm elections
also receive less publicity while presidential elections receive a great deal of advertising. Yet, with
the publicity provided from local and international media in sizable elections such as presidential
elections, the large

The Pros And Cons Of Voter Turnout
Voter Turnout Elections happen all over the world in various countries on different scales. Some
elections can be for the president of a country while others can be for city council members. With all
elections come a voter turnout. Voter turnout can be measured in a number of ways. According to
Fairvote, some ways to measure are by percentages of either the amount of eligible voters,
registered voters, or by the total population that is old enough to vote in that designated area
(Measuring Voter Turnout). The U.S. and Texas both have low voter turnouts compared to others
and struggle to increase them. Voter turnout is always an important aspect when it comes to a
measurement of participation from the citizens for the election. Compared to other democracy
countries, the U.S. does not have a high voter turnout for elections. Against other developed
countries that have a democracy government, the U.S. ranked 31 out of 34 in voter turnout (Long).
The percent that the U.S. has for its voting–age population that participated in the most recent
national election was 55.7% while the percent of registered voters that participated was higher at
86.8% (Desilver). There are various reasons why the U.S. voter turnout is how it is. Different
countries conduct their elections in numerous ways that make them unique. The U.S. uses an
electoral college for the national election. Americans have often discussed disapproval for this
system since it is not a guarantee that their vote will

The Real Independent Voter
The Real Independent Voter A notion exists that the "independent voter" is also an independent
thinker, researcher, and analyst – a voter not swayed by media and partisan politics; however, I
propose that while voters may be successfully categorized, neither independent nor partisan voters
are better informed than the other, this must be attributed individually and not categorically.
"Independent" is defined by the Oxford Dictionary as "not subject to authority or control; not
depending on another...for one's opinion; not belonging to or supported by a party" (Independent,
2002, p. 417). The problem with labelling a voter (or group of voters) with this term is that the label
is most often a self–designation that sometimes has little to do with that word actually implies.
Political analyst, Nate Silver, defines Independent voters in this manner:
1) People who are mainline Democrats or Republicans for all intents and purposes, but who reject
the formality of being labeled as such;
2) People who have a mix of conservative and liberal views that don't fit neatly onto the one–
dimensional political spectrum, such as libertarians;
3) People to the extreme left or the extreme right of the political spectrum, who consider the
Democratic and Republican parties to be equally contemptible;
4) People who are extremely disengaged from politics and who may not have fully formed political
views;
5) True–blue moderates;
6) Members of organized third parties.
"These voters have almost

Voter Identification for Elections
Since 2000 there has been a rampant increase in the number of states requiring voter identification
(ID) for elections. By 2004, approximately 19 states had made it mandatory that some form of
identification would be required. As this trend has remained largely consistent, so has the rationale
behind implementation of these laws from its proponents. Proponents of voter identification and
registration laws argue that these laws are necessary to minimize voter fraud and restore public
confidence in elections (Goldstein 2006). For example, a 2005 U.S. Senate policy committee report
claimed that "voter fraud continues to plague our nation's federal elections, diluting and canceling
out the lawful votes of the vast majority of Americans" (US Senate Republican Policy Committee
2005:1). On the opposite side of the spectrum, opponents of voter identification and registration
laws argue that these laws further marginalize the poor, minorities, and the elderly. They also posit
that voter ID laws are useless if their intent is to decrease the amount of voter impersonation fraud
because the occurrence of such is so rare. I will argue that if the intended outcome of voter ID laws
is a reduction in voter fraud and a restoration of confidence in the public about fair elections, the
evidence on this subject is scant and the evidence of the existence of voter impersonation fraud is
even more slight. I will then go on to discuss the empirically substantiated effects of what voter ID

Voter Turnout Sociology
The dependent variable in this study is voter turnout rates, expressed as a percentage of the eligible
population. Data was collected from two time periods; 1960–1970 and 1971–1980. The eligible
voting population was calculated for each country from data reported by the International Labour
Office in 1977 and data reported by the United Nations in 1984. In his article Political Institutions
and Voter Turnout in the Industrial Democracies, Robert Jackman describes the correlation that
exists between political institutions and voter turnout. He conducted a study in which he examined
political institutions in 19 democracies and voter turnout rates in those nations. It was his belief that
political institutions directly correlate to voter turnout. Evidence from his study suggests that the
structure of a nation's political institution has ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
A large gender gap exists in the sub–Saharan Africa region when it comes to voting, there is a
statistically seven–point gap that exists between men and women. In East Asian and Latin American
nations, the gender gap is less than a percentage point, it is not as statistically significant as the sub–
Saharan region. Results indicate that age seems to have a greater impact on voting participation than
any other variable, the effect of age on voter turnout is consistent across all world regions. Turnout
is lowest among young people and it rises as one grows older. Just 59% of young adults vote in East
Asia vote, 63% of young adults vote in Latin America and 58% of young adults vote in Sub–
Saharan African nations. Whereas, 89% of the older population in sub–Saharan Africa vote and 88%
of the older population in Latin America vote. In short young people tend to shy away from voting.
Bratton, Chu and Largos point to voting registration policies as the reason behind this age

Voter Identification Dbq
Among many political issues in the election seasons of 2012 and 2016, voter identification has
become a prominent talking point among candidates and subsequently all of America. Voter
identification laws require that prospective voters to show some form of state–provided
identification in order to be able to cast a ballot. The ones who create these laws proclaim that they
are in order to reduce voter fraud in elections, but the real purpose is something much more sinister.
The true reason so many people support voter identification laws is because they suppress minorities
from voting, usually helping the Republican party. Minorities have a harder time acquiring valid
identification, and therefore are more negatively impacted by these laws. ... Show more content on
Helpwriting.net ...
Voter identification laws are made specifically in order to stop certain people from voting, and hurt
the candidates that they would have otherwise voted for. This can be seen from an analysis of where
the voter identification laws have been passed and how they have affected the winners of elections.
Source E cites a Washington Post article that draws a direct line towards voter identification laws
and Republican legislatures. The article says, "Where these laws are enacted, the influence of
Democrats and liberals wanes and the power of Republicans grows..." What they are really saying is
that Republicans pass these laws to suppress Democratic voters, so they can be voted in again in the
next election. It is a widely known fact that more minorities vote Democrat, so these Republican
lawmakers try to stop some of the minorities from voting by passing these identification laws. This
perpetuates the unfair balance of power in our seemingly democratic nation, and makes it so the
white man stays in power while the minorities do not have a voice. This problem is also addressed
in the novel Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston, where the white man's power is
unchecked while the minorities have no voice. Although written in a very different time, it can be
argued that many racist views held long ago are still present in modern America. One such example
of this continued racism is

Inadequate Voter Registration
3. Inadequate Voter Registration
3.1 Multiple Registration
Multiple Registration is a huge challenge for holding a free and fair presidential election in
Afghanistan. Voter registration process in Afghanistan is different as compared to rest of the world.
According to the electoral law of Afghanistan, for presidential elections, the entire country is a
single electoral constituency (Ministry of Justice, 2016, p.29). This means that a voter can register
himself and vote in any voting station across the country. Therefore, voter's lists do not exist in the
voting stations, and the required documents are election cards that open entrance for voters to vote.
According to ICG, 10.6 million Afghans were registered within Afghanistan and 740,000 special
election cards were distributed to Afghan refugees in Pakistan in 2004(ICG, 2009, p. 15).
Later, in 2005, through a registration process, 1.7 million more elections cards added to the
previously available voter cards. Similarly, in 2009, 4.4 million new voter cards were issued for
those who supposedly were not registered before. With these new voter cards, a number of election
cards in circulations reached 17 million. However, the eligible voters in ... Show more content on
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Insecurity has negatively affected the whole electoral process, including voter registration, election
campaigns, actual voting process, and counting. Poor security had its effects over registration
process. For example, in the southern and southeastern regions, many registration centers were
closed or the process of registration was limited (Fair, 2009, p. 5). In consonance with the rapid
assessment review of the USAID (2014), upon reflecting over the extent of the existential threats,
"the IEC followed the recommendation from the Ministry of Interior to close more than 10 percent
of 7,000 polling centers before the 2014 presidential election day" (p.

Voter Id Laws In America
Strict enforcement of voter ID laws would cause 21 million Americans to lose the option to vote
(ACLU). Often reminiscent of poll taxes and the Jim Crow laws that were meant to stop African
Americans from voting in the 1800s, today's voter ID laws bar minorities, the elderly, the disabled,
and/or low income individuals from exercising their right to vote freely. The concept of voter ID
laws rose in popularity in 2008 when President Barack Obama won the presidential election and his
opponents cried fraud due to the influx of votes for him from newly registered Democrat and
minority voters (Weiser). Tova Wang, an election reform expert at the think tank Demos, cited
Florida's 600,000 new voters as directly spurring the voter ID controversy (Berman). ... Show more
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Currently, thirty–four states require some form of identification and thirty–two of those are currently
in effect. North Carolina, Mississippi, and Minnesota had voter ID laws rejected or put on hold in
2016 on the grounds that the laws were discriminatory and would disenfranchise minorities
(Legislatures). North Carolina's statute was struck down specifically because of the 'intentional'
targeting of African American voters. The law was focusing on almost nonexistent cases of in
person voter fraud, and ignoring the absentee ballot, which is most used by white Americans and
where most voter fraud has occurred (Holstege). North Carolina's 2013 voter ID legislation was
often subject to lawsuits in federal and state courts because of discrimination against minority voters
(Douglas).The Federal Court system has found an abundance of things wrong with the legislature
that is being pushed for the sake of voter fraud prevention, but as states amass these requirements to
vote, they disenfranchise voters who do not have access to all the necessary parts, and most likely
cannot get access to these materials. Texas legislation was significantly weakened by the fifth
Circuit Court of Appeals because it targeted minority voters, citing that Black Americans were 1.79
times more likely to lack proper ID and Latino Americans were 2.42 times more likely to lack
proper ID than White Americans (Holstege). A University of Massachusetts study saw that in states
where minority and lower income voting rises, the state was more likely to push for voter ID
legislation (Weiser). These laws affect minority groups tremendously and would slash representation
for these groups to minuscule

Voter Turnout In America
The nature of voter turnout is a broad concept in modern American politics and can be broken into
many topics: how voter turnout varies by state, by election, by demographics, and whether or not
voter turnout actually matters. Despite public opinion that voter participation is declining and that
such participation matters, voter turnout is about the same as it was in the 1960s and has not
undergone serious changes, and turnout only actually matters in competitive or local elections,
rarely national elections. The first determinant of variation in voter turnout is election differences
between states; specifically, voting accessibility, early voting, how competitive the race is, and
gerrymandering of districts in the state. Voting accessibility

Voter Registration And Voter Id Laws
Recently state and federal legislators have been discussing voter identification laws, also known as
voter ID laws. This issue is controversial because it can lead states to deny voters a vote without an
approved ID. On one hand, some supporters of ID laws argue that these laws are preventing
criminals from committing fraud. From this perspective, the laws are protecting the value of a vote
and what it means to actually participate in an election vote. On the other hand, however, people
argue that by placing the restriction on voting it is impeding the people constitutional rights much
like a poll tax. Opponents also claim that by enforcing an ID law it is creating a poll tax similar to
the ones created to prevent the African American people from voting. A poll tax is a specific amount
a person is charged before being able to place a vote; the comparison between a poll tax and a
driver's license fee is like comparing apples and oranges, when getting a driver's license a person is
using their license as their main form of ID. Poll taxes were outlaw in the 1960s by the 24th
amendment.
In the words of Cathy Cohen, one of the main opponents of voter ID, "Voter turnout among young
people may be significantly reduced because of these laws" (Frisby). According the view of Cohen,
she does not account for the young people who do not intend to vote, not because of the laws but
because of laziness, lack of interest, and outright apathy. The late United States president John F.
Kennedy

The Voter Turnout In Texas
The voter turnout in Texas has been low for a very long time. For the past 50 years the numbers of
citizens that participate in the national, state, and local elections have decreased. Voters turn–out is
the percentage of voters that are able to vote legally, that actually cast a vote in the elections. There
are a number of things that can increase the percentage but I'm sure these examples will never
happen. I believe that the voter turnout is low because people aren't into politics because many
believe they are all corrupt. People rather not vote because they believe their vote won't make a
difference but in reality I will make an impact. There are other reasons people choose not to vote
such as not being registered, disabilities, being

Voter Turnout And Voter Apathy
Voter turnout is commonly regarded as one of the most distinct issues within American politics of
the last century. Though the United States once averaged a turnout rate of 78% of eligible voters in
presidential elections between 1860 and 19001, the average voter turnout of the 21st century has
fallen to around 52%2. The cause of the marked decline throughout the 20th century is often
attributed simply to voter apathy, but the issue is much more complex. Upon analysis, it is clear that
a number of factors have contributed to the decreased rate of voter turnout, of which voter apathy is
perhaps the least influential. The decline in voter turnout in presidential elections from the 19th to
the 20th century is most likely a result of the instatement of the Australian ballot, the structure of the
American election system, and an increased disillusionment with the government over the last
century. Until the late 19th century, voting was not entirely private in the United States, which led to
inflated voter turnout in presidential elections due to the corruption it allowed. Initially, there were
very few regulations imposed on voting. Ballots, for example, could be printed in any size or color
and often were printed so that one could tell to which party it corresponded just by looking at it. A
voter's name might be called out or recorded when he placed a vote. Others could even view the
ballot of another until it was officially cast3. This lack of privacy in casting votes allowed

Latino Voters And Hispanic Voters
There were 3,427 voters from the 62% in the city of Los Angeles that were selected for the survey in
June 5, 2001(Abrajano, Nagler, & Alverez, 2005). The result showed that there were racial
preference in the voting patterns for the mayoral race, where 82% of Latino voters supported the
Latino candidate Villaraigosa, 79% of black voters supported the white candidate Hahn and 58% of
whites voted for Hahn (Abrajano, Nagler, & Alverez, 2005). Delgadillo won the city attorney race
receiving the majority support from the Latino voters and black voters (Abrajano, Nagler, &
Alverez, 2005). White voters who crossed over to vote for a Latino candidate voted based on the
issue and position that the candidate was running on, but for Latino voters who voted for the white
candidate, the context of the race mattered less (Abrajano, Nagler, & Alverez, 2005). In the spatial
model, voter's ideology had a positive significance in both races (Abrajano, Nagler, & Alverez,
2005). The more liberal the voters in the mayor race were, increased the chances that they would
vote for the Latino candidate while in the city attorney race the more conservative the voter were the
more likely they would vote for the Latino candidate (Abrajano, Nagler, & Alverez, 2005).
Matsubayashi and Ueda (2010) analyzed whether white voters used candidate race as a voting cues
in an election between a white and Black candidate. The data were gathered from local precinct
level

Student Voter Turnout
Intentions
The research team's question is why the student voter turnout is so low, and what can be done to
improve turnout among students. With this research question, the team wants to find out how
involved students are in the voting process while also determining the specific causes that are
deterring or moving students away from voting. The research team has determined that the low voter
turnout among students is an issue because this voting age is such a large group that it is now
rivaling with the Baby Boomers. However, even though that both groups are almost the same size,
the Baby Boomers, have a much higher voter turnout than Millennials (students). In the 2016
presidential election, the voter turnout for Baby Boomers was 69 percent while the Millennial voter
turnout was 46 percent (Khalid 2016). The purpose of this research is to determine why this ... Show
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For the interviews, the purpose was to find expert opinions and conclusions to why the student voter
turnout is so low. To find these experts, the research team conducted two interviews with two
different political club organizations on Ball State's campus. The research team requested a
representative from each group that could provide an expert opinion that could aid in determining
the answer for the research question. The first organization was College Democrats and the other
was College Republicans. The research team thought it would be best if they got opinions from both
sides of the political spectrum to see if there were any difference in opinions. The last interview was
conducted with a Political Science professor from Ball State's campus. The research team
determined that the opinion of this professor could be key in determining the research question
because of the professor's profound knowledge in political

Low Voter Stereotypes
The newest generation, also known as the Millennials, has sparked one of the latest topics of debate
and that is voting. Recent examples of young voters excelling political candidates have occurred
with Bernie Sanders and even helped bring Barrack Obama into the presidency. These articles by
The New York Times delve into the underlying cause of the low turnout rates. Most of these articles
place the blame for low voter turnouts on colleges. Colleges are not to blame for these turnouts as
they don't discourage political thinking. In the article "College Students Are Inconsistent Voters for a
Reason" by Quentin Kidd he acknowledges the few successes that Millennials have done in terms of
voting. Stating how Obama has voted into office by the ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
She states "Because of identity politics and partisan propaganda, classroom debates are dominated
by absolutisms rather than facts and historical context. Students who can't "pick a side" are left
feeling isolated and politically apathetic." (Brooks, "Diverse Effects"). I have never personally
experienced this in the classroom. Every time a debate happens in one of my classes they provide
logistical facts and respect the other opinion. I'm not saying this doesn't happen, but I feel like
people are more civilized and educated to have a discussion. I can't find a single point in her article
that I agree with, she seems angry at her college

Swing Voters Research Paper
Have you ever had noticed how easily it is for someone to influence and change your decision when
you're on the fence about an issue? Due to their inexperience in the electorate teens may also be
easily swayed and have their opinions changed. This would just enlarge the number of swing voters.
A swing voter is a voter who has no allegiance to any political party and whose unpredictable
decisions can swing the outcome of an election one way or the other. There's a vicious fight for
these precious voters, as they're the ones who can change the direction of an election. Swing voters
can be especially vulnerable during the weeks leading up to an election when voters who have not
yet pledged allegiance to a certain candidate can be influenced and

Voter Turnout Analysis
The article that I chose to analyze discusses the area of voter turnout. Voter turnout is an area that is
near and dear to me because the opportunity to voice our opinions through voting is a civil
responsibility and ultimately our first opportunity to be involved in the political system. Voter
turnout is not a topic that is new, but it has manifested itself more and more over the years, and it is
now a huge topic of discussion in society. With different states instituting voting laws, voter turnout
seems to be on the decline. Why is this so? How do voting laws cause a decline in voter turnout at
the polls? The article that I chose explains the relationship between different voting laws and how
they can affect voter turnout at the polls.
The ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
The author has used data from different researchers to support his ideas as to the contributing factors
related to voter turnout. The author also uses a comparative perspective to help explain and show
how factors related to an election effect voter turnout. Here in North Carolina, we had voter–ID laws
for a short time frame, and I saw the effects first hand on voter turnout. Personally, I do not have a
driver's license. Even though I have a learner's permit, I can see where someone who is in my
position who does not have any form of identification decides to skip the polls altogether because
he/she does not want to go through the hassle of obtaining a permit or identification card in order to
vote. To me, voting is extremely important, and as a government major, I have began to witness
firsthand, how having a large voter turnout can have on the result of an

Essay On Voter Turnout
Voter turnout can be improved with many positive solutions, such as making registration easier,
simplifying voting, and having more involvement with the election, that many americans feel the
election lacks, that impacts voter turnout. The percentage of eligible voters who cast votes during an
election is called voter turnout. Voter turnout in America has been decreasing as the years go by. In
the 1800's voter turnout was averaging an average in the high 70% range, and in the 1900's, voter
turnout was averaging an average in the 60% range. For as the twentieth century, Americans have
been averaging an average 50% range. The 2016 election recently had a higher voter turnout than
the past elections with a turnout of 58% out of 232 million eligible voters. 2016 presidential voter
turnout may have been popular due to more people pushing others to go and vote or it may have
been due to the two candidates that were drastically different in many aspects. Many other countries
such as Belgium, Australia, and Turkey have voter turnouts above 80%. Australia, has such a high
voter turnout, due to having it on a Saturday and making it mandatory for them, if they do not vote
they have a fine of A$20. ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Too busy is another popular excuse, along with registration requirements and apathy. Some say the
lines are too long to wait for with such a busy schedule it can be deemed as an inconvenience, but
with technology advancements the voting process is speeding up making this not a very valid excuse
to not vote. Not liking the candidates can easily lower voter turnout or claiming the voting polls
location is too difficult to go to. Even if you are disabled, or sick, there are groups that help those
exercise their right to vote and helping them to the location to place their

Voter Identification Legislation
In the past decade, a total of 34 states have passed voter identification laws with the same guidelines
from state to state. These laws require voters to show a proof of photo identification in order to be
eligible to vote or receive a ballot at the voting polls. The initial purpose of the voter ID laws was to
prevent voter fraud. However, the laws have made voting harder for some Americans, like
minorities, women, students and elders by requiring a government issued photo ID. Many people
assume that everyone should have a government issued photo ID or a driver license. This concept is
irrational and untrue because there are still people in this wealthy country who cannot afford a good
meal. According to Abranmsky (2013), "The current ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
I know that some people might say the states can provide an identification card at free of charge, so
the laws will not disenfranchise minorities, students, and people in poverty. However, this is not
true. This solution would be a no–win situation for both sides in terms of money. Many citizens
would find it hard to get an ID or even if it is free because in order to obtain a free identification,
those people still would have to submit some sorts of required papers, like birth certificate, passport
or naturalization paper to get a free ID. The cheapest option that is available would be a birth
certificate, which would cost about $22. According to the Voting Right Institution, "The report
concluded that if these 35 states enact a photo ID law, they collectively will spend at least $276
million, and possibly as much as $828 million, in the first four years alone." The States could have
used that money to create more job opportunities and build more government senior housings. I
agree with the argument that we can use our social security number to register to vote. However,
giving away your 9–digit social security number is a very unsafe solution because the government is
not motivated to protect your information effectively. You would also give a chance to the
government invading your private lives because you are not supposed to give it to anyone beside
your employer or IRS to track your

Low Voter Registration
One of the primary causes for low voter turnout in the United States is low voter registration. In
order to vote in state, local, or federal elections, citizens are required to be registered by a certain
date before the election. People can register in person, by visiting a state–affiliated election facility,
or by mailing their registration forms, postmarked no later than the registration date. Additionally,
only 31 states including the District of Columbia give voters the option of registering online.
Considering this fact and that we are living in an age with great technological advances, 31 states is
far too few. Hence, New York's inability to modernize voter registration and reach out to new voters
effectively lowers the number of registered ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
The bad news is that all of these policies need to be approved by the state legislature which
notoriously has had a track a record for stalling and not allowing many of these changes to be
implemented. For instance, in 2014 the Democrat–controlled State–Assembly passed legislation that
would establish 2 weeks of early voting, but the Republican controlled State Senate blocked the
legislation from passing. Similarly, the battle for same–day registration in the state legislature has
been ongoing since 1988, when current Governor Andrew Cuomo's father, Mario Cuomo was the
Governor of New York and had suggested making registration deadlines as late as possible. He had
also appointed a special task force to study voter turnout and come up with a solution to resolve low
voter turnout. The special task force ultimately proposed implementing same–day registration to the
state legislature. The existing power struggle between Democrats and Republicans in the state
government have made it all, but impossible for voter registration reform. However, New York's
future looks bright as there are more and more state officials speaking up and getting on board with
many of the proposed registration

Effects Of Voter Apathy
Voter apathy is a large and serious problem that is affecting the U.S. right now. If the number of
people that continuously ignore the ability to vote increases only a small portion of the country will
be deciding who leads us and makes the decisions that will either protect us or endanger us. The
effects of these decisions can be in economics and war. Also, if only a fraction of the population
votes there is a much a greater chance of imbalance in politics. For example, this could cause more
Democrats or Republicans to vote and make it too easy for one party to be in office. Every vote
counts and one by one voter apathy can be reduced to an uncommon term. I think it comes down to
maturity, or lack of it at a young age. I believe a major reason

Voter Knocking
I asked a young campaign canvasser early on a Saturday morning, "What makes you get up early on
a Saturday morning, when you could be sleeping, and door knock for a Presidential candidate for
free? He replied "the free donuts and coffee." I laughed, knowing that he had a good point, as I
nibbled on my jelly filled donut. I had experienced this same phenomenon canvassing for a
Congressional candidate. The only difference was I went for the free pizza and drinks, instead of
donuts and coffee.
On Saturday, October 29th I was able to shadow the Republican Party of Virginia Beach as they
door knocked for Presidential candidate Donald Trump. I was interested to see what type of door
knocking strategy they would employ over the course of the day. ... Show more content on
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The voters that were targeted were low propensity Republican voters.. The way that these voters
were identified was through voter history, technology that shows which elections you voted in and
how often you voted. We know targeting these voters is an effective strategy to increase voter
turnout on election day. Research conducted by Author Alan S. Gerber and Professor Donald P.
Green show how crucial this face to face interaction could be to getting Republicans who normally
don't vote to vote. In their article, The Effects of Canvassing, Telephone Calls, and Direct Mail on
Voter Turnout: A Field Experiment they concluded that "Face to face interaction dramatically
increases the chance that voters will go to the polls."(Gerber and Green, 2010) Talking to these
voters face to face in their community had a positive effect in which Republicans who were not
going to vote, will now vote on election day. After compiling the data, walkbooks were created with
these specific low propensity Republican households shown in the walkbook. About one hundred
houses were comprised in one walkbook. All sixteen volunteers were given one walkbook to

Low Voter Voting
PART III: CHAPTER 1 QUESTIONS
Question 1. Even in a presidential election, only about half of the eligible adults exercise their right
to vote. What are the consequences of a low voter turnout? Does low turnout have any possible
benefits?
In my opinion, I believe everyone that is eligible to vote should vote. This amazing opportunity to
go out and have an impact on policies that affect our lives should not be taken lightly. For a long
period of time through American history neither women nor African Americans were permitted to
vote, and they fought for that opportunity to participate. I do not understand why anyone would
throw out that chance to make a difference for a change they want to see, because nothing will get
done by sitting down and waiting for someone else to fix the problem. As stated in our text "Voter
turnout has remained well below that of other advanced democracies" (Losco 2). In my personal
belief, having half of eligible voters show up to vote is unacceptable, because it may result in major
lifelong ramifications. I believe the lack of participation in voting, is resulting in people becoming
elected, and laws getting past that most people are not aware of. I would have to strongly agree with
"the Greek philosopher Aristotle who felt that citizens should not simply sit back and enjoy the
benefits of society; they must also take responsibility for its operation." (Losco 6). What is a little
troubling is that it appears that older population becomes more

Voter Fraud In Elections
In order to vote, American citizens must meet several requirements, and complete the registration
process. To be eligible to vote, at the very least, one must be a US citizen, meet state residency
requirements, and be at least 18 years old ("Register to Vote," n.d.). Efforts have been made over the
course of American history to make voting a more simple and inclusive process, including the
Voting Rights Act of 1965, and the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 (Ash & Lamperti, 2013,
p. 14). However, the article "Elections 2012: Suppressing Fraud or Suppressing the Vote?" by Arlene
Ash and John Lamperti strongly argues that in the past decade, these efforts have been curtailed
through regulations to prevent voter fraud (2013, p. 14–15). Examples ... Show more content on
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Even in 1996, Rhine's "An Analysis of the Impact of Registration Factors on Turnout in 1992"
speculated that with each new reform for voter rights, there is in turn the widening possibility for
voter fraud (p. 181). With less strict requirements, more individuals are likely to take advantage of
the system to help further their party or candidate of choice (Rhine, 1996, p.181). The 2000
presidential election saw a serious account of electoral fraud mainly due to voter registration,
accessibility issues at polling places, as well as issues with the voting machines (Ash & Lamperti,
2013, p. 16). From this situation of fraud, it is estimated that approximately four to six million votes
were lost (Ash & Lamperti, 2013, p. 16). State governments have established these newer reforms in
order to prevent such a scandal from reoccurring. These rules may seem restrictive, but they are
essential to preventing impersonation, and casting multiple votes. The rules do not completely take
away the right to vote, and dissuade morally corrupt individuals from rigging the

Low Voter Turnout
Our American Government text mentions 7 different reasons for exceptionally low voter turnout in
the United States. These reasons range from not having mandatory elections to when the elections
are held, but there are two reasons that I find to be the most influential.
Voting used to be something special; a privilege. Now, elections are held so frequently that they no
longer have that allure to them. That combined with the feeling that your vote won't change the
overall outcome causes for more potential voters to avoid the polls.
The second reason that I find to be highly influential is pre–registration. I don't think that this should
change, however it can be difficult to find the time and means to register for an election. This
combined

Voting constitutes the backbone of Democracy
Voter Turnouts in Canada: Restoring a Civic Duty
Grant Macewan University
December 6th 2011
Political Science 101
Term Paper
In a democratic system it is vital that citizens engage in their civic duty of voting; only then can a
proper governing body be chosen to represent the will of the majority. Abraham Lincoln got to the
core of democracy when he stated, "the government of the people, by the people and for the people."
In the last 50 years of Canadian history we have begun to see a decline in voter turnout; ranging
from 80% of citizens voting in 1962, gradually dwindling to 59.1% in the year 2008 (Dickerson,
Flanagan & O'Neill, 2010). It is important to understand why ... Show more content on
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One of the greatest factors in deciding which Member of Parliament many voters will trust with
representing them is the level of confidence they have in the political leader. Confidence is the
greatest of all voter assets for it requires knowledge of the leader's platform, and the platform of the
opposition.
Political scientists have made tremendous efforts in discovering what factors influence the voting
turnouts. Irrefutably within any country, older citizens and those with higher education and income
are more likely to participate in elections; this possibly explains the partisanship, a method of the
"ill–informed," displayed along the east coast, for the educational requirements attributed to these
provinces are less than the Canadian national average (Garnier , 2006). When an election has closely
contested parties there is a higher voter turnout, for citizens believe that their votes will make more
of a difference. In Canada it has been proven that citizens are more likely to vote in national
elections than in municipal elections; municipal elections typically garner less than 50% of the
voting populace's support, while national elections have never experienced less than a 60% turnout
(Heard, 2011). Proportional representation has been associated with higher voter turnouts; as
opposed to Single member plurality systems, the system used in Canada, where voters feel their
efforts to make a difference are futile due to the "First

2016 Voter Turnout
Overall, the 2016 voter turnout was lower than ever before. The United States is a country that has
some of the lowest voter turnouts in history, and unlike Australia, the USA doesn't make voting
mandatory. About 48 to 57% of citizens normally participate in the presidential election voting but
in 2016 many American's decided to opt out lowering the voter turnout to a mere 55% of the
American population. When American's didn't vote that decision most likely came due to the fact
that Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton were both two of the most disliked presidential candidates in
the past 30 years. We are also aware that presidential elections are more competitive in some states,
and Republicans didn't seem to vote as much as people in swing

The Importance Of Voter Apathy
The percentage of citizens eligible to vote but who nevertheless opt out is a growing concern in
contemporary America; as of the 2008 presidential election "only 64 percent of qualified citizens
voted" (Carl, 2013). Such a lack of voting has been termed "voter apathy," which is defined as "a
phenomenon in which citizens with the right to vote choose not to" (Carl, 2013). It is common
knowledge that throughout history minority voters are most often the ones who express this
indifference towards voting in comparison to whites (Carl, 2013). Voter apathy often results from
the misguided perception that one person's vote will not make a difference. A myriad of solutions
are available for the government to implement in order to create a more efficient

Modern Campaigning And Voter Turnout
Rebecca Sperberg
3AB
Current Event #2
Recently modern campaigning has had major effects on voter turnout. Concluded from presidential
campaigns and geographic research many voters have begun participating more due to the modern
campaigning. Andrew Gelman Washington Post writer, states that research found from Enos and
Fowler that in the 2012 election from there on examples of modern campaigning was heavily
illustrated when the voting population began expanding. The campaigning focused more on
personalizing individuals through the traditional door knocking and making phone calls. Also,
mentioned was the higher turnout in battleground states due to the campaigning affecting their voter
turnout as well.
Focusing majorly on voter turnout getting

Voter turnout in the United States is a method of examining who votes. High and low voter turnout
is commonly associated with certain distinguishable categories, like age, sex, race, education, etc.
For certain easily defined categories, like age or sex, it is not difficult to understand the relationship.
Men typically vote one way and women typically vote another way; the older one gets the more
he/she votes one way and the younger one is the more he/she votes another way. Education on the
other hand, is not as distinctive as it would seem. The relationship between education level and voter
turnout is essentially a given, however there is more to it. The education level of an individual can
have two different measurements within the overall ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
United States' voting is looked at through two different functionary systems, closed and open. Close
and open systems are a method of looking at how external factors influence that system; I use this
method to distinguish between the theoretical level of voting and how the voting system works
when put into the real world (Heylighten and Joselyn 1992; Walonick 1993). A closed–system
analysis of voting provides a foundational understanding of how the voting process works. This
method of analysis allows for a theoretical understanding of how the voting process should work;
essentially, it is an explanation of the structures, laws, etc. that allow the voting processes to be
carried out in America's democratic society. Looking at the voting process through an open–system
allows for an understanding with external influences. This part of the first section analyses how the
voting process works in reality. It addresses questions like, why do people vote and why should or
shouldn't people vote? Further, the open–system approach looks at who ends up voting. Overall the
two approaches to understanding the voting process, open and closed systems, establish a
foundation of knowledge later linked to the influences of education on the voting

Voter Turnout In Demographics
What is voter turnout? Voter turnout is the percintage of of people who are eiligible to vote in the
election. Voter turnout has been steadily declining over the years for many reasons. Why? In the
2016 election around 90 million eligable voters didn't vote in the presidential election. After every
election the states are chided for poor voter turnout.
"There are many things that affect voter turnout in the unites states one of the main factors is
demographics, older people 26 and up tend to vote more than the younger voters ages 18–25
because they usually understand the elections more and are not as busy as the younger voters. Other
factors of voter turnout are candidates, Making voting compulsory, voter fatigue and voter
suppression. About

Voter Registration Essay
Voter registration is a simple process of enrollment that grants permission to vote in elections.
Voting is a right by the United States citizen, which is not exercised by many people. For this
reason, the United States lacks representation by its people in where the citizens have the power to
make a difference and are actually hurting what the United States stand for. The people have the
potential to determine the fate of the country. Reasons for an individual not registering are not well
informed, lack of interest in politics, and believe their vote does not count due to the Electoral
College. However, when researching if voting is important, many reasons are presented on the
significance and the impact a vote can make. For example, it is ... Show more content on
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They can either register in person at the Voter's Registrar's office and some but not all registrar to
vote such as the Tax Assessor–Collector, County Clerk, or Election Administrators. Also, the citizen
can register by mail by obtaining an application from the Voter's Registrar office, libraries,
government offices, or high schools. In addition, the individual can fill out a voter registration
application online, print it and mail it to the voter registrar in their county of residence. Moreover,
there are other methods for obtaining an application such as requesting an application. A postage–
paid application from the voter registrar is obtained by filling out the form, so the application can be
mailed to the person. A request for this application lets the individual choose how many voter
registration applications they want, and asks for their first and last name, address, city, state, and zip
code. In addition, the voter registration in Harris, has the application in Vietnamese and Chinese in
which the individual prints the PDF and mails it with a stamped envelope. Last but not least of
methods is they application for a ballot by mail. In order, for the person to be eligible to vote early,
they must be 65 years or older, be disabled, out of the county on Election Day and during the early
voting, or be confined in

Essay on Voter Id Laws
Voter ID Laws: Common Sense
The ability to vote is one of the most cherished and fundamental rights in the United States of
America. Unfortunately, the validity and reliability of our democratic system is constantly under
attack by the real issue of voter fraud. While a solution for this problem hasn't been decided upon,
Republicans strongly advocate the usage of voter ID (which could be anything from a drivers
license to a passport) to ensure that whomever is going to the polls is exactly who they say they are,
and happens to still be alive. This common sense solution has come under attack by numerous
Democrats, stating that this is merely a direct attack on minorities and the elderly who "can't obtain
a sufficient form of ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Another point made by those who claim discrimination against Americans with voter ID laws is that
some Americans may be too deep in poverty to afford identification. This, again, is an invalid
argument. Government issued ID prices range anywhere from $5.00–$20.00 depending on which
state you live in. While some people may indeed be in poverty, these prices wouldn't exactly break
the bank, especially since poor individuals are most likely receiving money from government
programs. In states such as Georgia and Indiana, anyone who cannot afford a voter ID will be
presented with one for absolutely no cost. All you must simply do is go to town hall, smile for the
camera, and voila, you're eligible to vote. All while ensuring that every citizen's vote counts and
lessening the chances of voter fraud.
The final argument made by those who oppose common sense is that the chance of voter fraud
occurring is slim to none. In 2010, an election held for sheriff in West Virginia was found to have
been largely comprised of voter fraud. Jerry Bowman, the sheriff who committed the crime,
admitted to falsifying more than 100 ballots and voting with some of the ballots himself, making the
election an easy win. This incident has lead to a serious push to enact voter ID laws to help curb the
possibility of fraud. Situations like these can be avoided by taking the necessary steps to protect the
truly corrupt voting system we have in place today.

Voter Id And The United States
Voter ID Discrimination "The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or
abridged by the United States or by any State on account of race, color, or previous condition of
servitude." The Fifteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution and one of the most
important when it comes to voting in the United States of America. This Amendment was ratified on
February 3, 1870 after the civil war and was met by a flurry of great full voters and scornful
American citizens. Racism has been a problem in America since its founding and, despite common
misconception, is still a serious issue today. With the 2016 elections just around the corner it's
important we has American recognize the issue of voter ID discrimination and how it is not only
going directly against the constitution but also unethical and immoral in our modern American
society.
While the main purpose for voter ID is to eliminate fraud and corruption in the American voting
system, it has brought with it consequences that discourage and even prohibit eligible voters to vote.
The 2012 election, a vast number of state required a government–issued photo ID. Even the state
Indiana required this even though "state GOP officials couldn 't provide a single instance of a voter
committing the type of fraud the new ID law was supposed to stop" (Berman). Surprisingly, in
Wisconsin, they will only except ID's containing "a current address, birth date, signature and two–
year expiration date" that so far

Voter Turnout
July 4th, Veterans Day, and Labor Day are all national holidays for which schools and work are
closed for the day. However, the United States has yet to make election day a national holiday. The
first Tuesday in November of every fourth year, election day takes place. Election day presents
citizens with the opportunity to influence federal bureaucracy by choosing the next president of the
United States. In the most recent election, voter turnout was at a twenty–year low (Wallace). The
U.S. was not only at a twenty–year low, but the U.S. voter turnout currently trails most developed
countries (DeSilver). As voter turnout seemed to drop every election, many democratic politicians
decided to take a stand. One such as former President Barack Obama ... Show more content on
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Some examples of restrictive voting laws include These new restrictions ranged from cuts to early
voting to burdens on voter registration to strict voter ID requirements ("Election 2016"). Along with
these restrictions, the Supreme Court ruled that states with the longest histories of voting
discrimination no longer needed to approve their voting changes with the federal government
(Berman). This ruling allowed states to discriminate and make it harder for other ethnicities to vote,
which would affect voter turnout. These voter restrictions are a violation of the constitution and
against the belief of democracy in the U.S. The rebuff of Trump's hedging on accepting the election
results – 65 percent of Americans in a recent poll disapproved of it, most of them strongly – shows
that the commitment to democratic institutions and processes remains strong (Hemmer). Election
day becoming a national holiday would prevent restrictive voting laws because it reiterates the
importance of voting causing a huge turnout in the polls and if people are restricted from their right,
they are more likely to fight for

Voter Turnout In The United States

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