Low Voter Turnout Essay Research Paper There free essay sample

Low Voter Turnout Essay, Research Paper There are many grounds that account for low elector turnout. First of wholly, it is apparent that there is a diminution in public involvement for elections. Most American citizens feel that their ballot does non count, and seeing as they lead really busy lives they are non inclined to do clip to vote when they feel as if their ballot does non number. There besides is a diminution in the competition between the parties. In the nineteenth century, when voting rates were higher, the parties fought hard, got electors to the polls, made political relations a participatory activity, kept enrollment simple and looked frontward to shut and exciting elections. Now a twenty-four hours, this no longer happens. American citizens have no motive to vote as they one time did. They are non made to experience that their ballot affairs. The many reforms made by the Progressives have besides reduced elector turnout ( Wilson 145 ) . We will write a custom essay sample on Low Voter Turnout Essay Research Paper There or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page The acceptance of the Australian ballot reduced the high sum of deceitful vote. The Australian ballot is a ballot printed by the authorities alternatively of by the parties and electors are allowed to project their ballot in secret instead than in public as they were one time made to make. This presented a more accurate elector turnout per centum. Voter enrollment ordinances besides became stricter, extinguishing the big figure of foreigners from vote and cutting back on the figure of inkinesss and transients who voted. The alterations reduced non merely deceitful vote, but besides vote in general. This is due to the fact that it became more hard for electors with small instruction or who had late moved to register and vote. Single-member territories besides discouraged electors ( Wilson 145 ) . In other states, vote is more of import because the authoritiess there play a larger function in the lives of its citizens. Political parties in foreign states mobilize electors and are able to acquire them to the polls really expeditiously. The elector turnout in other states, such as Europe and Australia, is higher because in Europe citizens are automatically registered and in Australia they are required to vote. If one does non vote in Australia they are fined. In some states, voting twenty-four hours is even a vacation ( Wilson 145 ) . Some people argue that lower elector turnout is non needfully bad. It could intend the people are satisfied with the present province of the authorities. It may besides be better because the figure of educated ballots being dramatis personae is higher due to the fact that extremely educated people tend to vote more often. There are many stairss that could be taken to increase elector turnout in the United States. One method is to alter single-member territories to relative representation. This manner, seats would be given harmonizing to the figure of ballots the individual receives from the electors. Hopefully this would do electors experience as if their ballot mattered and they would be more inclined to vote. A 2nd suggestion is to do vote compulsory, as it is in Australia. If people knew that they would be required to pay a all right if they did non vote, possibly they would be more inclined to make so. Therefore, the elector turnout would lift ( Wilson 147 ) . The 3rd suggestion is to put more significance on the vote procedure by doing voting twenty-four hours a vacation. This would extinguish the fuss of American citizens holding to do clip to vote and travel rapidlying back from work to their territory to make so. If there were nil to make on voting twenty-four hours but ballot, more citizens would be given to make so. A 4th suggestion is to copy the European system and have enrollment become automatic. In Europe, the authorities registers its citizens so that they do non hold to and every grownup citizen is automatically registered. To many American citizens, enrollment is a fuss. Americans have to larn how to register and when they must make so, they besides have to get a enrollment signifier and when they finish make fulling it out, manus present it to the registrar. When an American citizen moves to a new province they must travel through this procedure all over once more. By following the European system, the hope is that more citizens will travel to the booths on voting twenty-four hours if that is all they are required to d O ( Wilson 146-147 ) . The fifth and last suggestion is to increase the function that the federal authorities dramas in the lives of its citizens. If authorities becomes more of import to its citizens, the citizens will desire to vote to guarantee that the individual they want is voted into office and the issues that are of import to them are being dealt with. The parties and campaigners themselves could increase elector turnout if they interacted with the electors more and tried to actuate them. Citizens are more likely to vote if they feel they know the campaigner they are voting for and that that individual cares what they think and about how they feel ( Wilson 147 ) . Congress has already set plans into consequence in order to better elector turnout. One such illustration is the motor-voter measure. The motor-voter measure requires provinces to let people to register to vote when they apply for their driver s licence, to register at assorted province offices, and besides by mail. Plans like these make it easier for Americans to register and in turn ballot. Congress is confident that by seting plans similar to this into consequence, the elector turnout will lift ( Wilson 147-148 ) . In my sentiment, the fact that elector turnout is so low does non needfully hold to be viewed as a bad thing. It could intend that citizens are satisfied with their authorities in its present province and besides that more educated ballots are being cast. If vote was made compulsory so there would be a batch of uneducated citizens vote, citizens who had no thought who they were voting for or what they stood for and were merely voting because they were being forced to. It puts the authorities at hazard for unfit campaigners being elected to office and holding unwise policies placed into consequence. There is besides the statement that the diminution in elector turnout is more evident than it is existent. The present twenty-four hours elector turnout is non that much lower than it would hold been without deceitful vote. Until the early 20th century, elector fraud, such as ballot-box dressing and intimidating electors, was really common. The Australian ballot reduced this. With the riddance of deceitful vote and foreign vote, we now have a true estimation of the elector turnout, most likely what it would hold been before the Progressive motion if the ballots had been lawfully cast and candidly counted. Besides, if you compare democratic states in footings of what per centum of their registered electors cast ballots so the United States elector turnout is non that low, it is really approximately 87 % in a presidential election ( Wilson 145 ) . In the terminal, we can make things to do the vote procedure easier, but that does non needfully intend the elector turnout will increase. Each American citizen makes his or her ain pick whether or non to vote. It would be impossible for the authorities or any other establishment to act upon everyone or do vote easier for everyone. If American citizens were forced to vote, it would be conflicting on their rights of freedom of address granted in the measure of rights. I believe that the diminution in elector turnout is non a true crisis. It does non harm the authorities in any manner or do any jobs. Nor does low elector turnouts offend any basic rules or manifest any societal illnesss ( Diclerico and Hammock 66-67 ) . The lone thing low elector turnout does make, is make Americans appear lazy and unappreciative in the eyes of other democratic states that have high elector turnout. However, since when has the United States of all time been genuinely concerned with the sentiments of other states? Never is the reply, so why should we get down now? My decision is that we shouldn t. We can do alterations in the system and integrate new plans, but nil will alter until American citizens themselves decide that low elector turnout is a job and that it needs to be remedied. Plants Cited Diclerico, Robert E. and Allan S. Hammock. Points of Position: Readings in American Government and Politics. 7th erectile dysfunction. Boston: The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. , 1998. Wilson, James Q. American Government Brief Version. 4th erectile dysfunction. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1997.