Why does the United States usually get rather low voter turn-out? What, if anything, should be done to change this?

The answers (in order recieved):

  • NEEDED: more convenient places to vote.

  • I bwelieve that the reason the U.S. gets low voter turn-out is due to apathy. I myself have not voted in the past two years due to extreme lack of planning. However, that has changed this year, since I no longer have to worry about voting absentee. However, I feel that most people are apathetic, not caring who wins, or, even worse, believing that their votes don't make that much of a difference. So the question becomes how can we remedy people who are in these two situations? I have no idea what can be done about the apathetic types, but for those people who believe that their votes do not make a difference, I would have to get them to read the news report a year or two back that said a Connecticut election was won by only FOUR VOTES. There were four wrote-in votes for Abraham Lincoln, Jon Bon Jovi, yo momma, and the neighbor's dog. Think about it: If these four people had taken their votes seriously, they could have deadlocked the election! Then again, as Norm McDonald for SNL's Weekend Update commented, "Good, that means my vote still wouldn't have made a difference." I'd like to hope that most people aren't that way, but realistically, I know better. That's a shame, because that's a large part of what makes America so great: The fact that we, the common citizens, have a say in what views we want promoted.

  • We need politicians who REALLY fuck up our country. If we want people to vote, they hafta be PERSONALLY affected by something that the politicos in DC could change.

  • The U.S. primarily gets low voter turnout due to the fact that the people in general are faced with poor choices, poor candidates, and for the most part poor ideas. Until government is removed from its' present, overextended (and overbearing) power and prevailing political thinking is changed, low voter turnout will continue as only those who currently have vested interest in the process will truly be affected by a vote. Consider: do you think many college students REALLY care if Dole or Clinton get elected? Probably 10-25%.

  • I really don't know what can be done, I mean, besides what's done already (like all the cheesy Rock The Vote stuff and other voting promotion campaigns...) So, um, I guess my answer to both ?'s is a rather lame one: I dunno.

  • People don't care. Because of opinion polls they think they know is already going to win so why bother. kill the media.

  • You can't make me answer this. THIS IS STILL A FREE COUNTRY, MAN!

  • Apathy. We think living in a nation with megamillions of people that our vote won't matter. Plain and simple.

  • Either a) none of the candidates are appealing, or b) people think it just doesn't matter... either because one vote is such a tiny amount, or because we'll have the same problems no matter who's in office. I have no idea what can change it...

  • I have no fucking idea!!!

  • I think they should have more fun people to vote for. I'm only 16 so voting isn't on my list of things to do, but I know that I wouldn't never be able to sit through a sermon or whatever its called, by Bob Dole. He's TOO OLD! And Bill Clinton's voice just annoys me. That and his nose. Also if they rewarded you with like a cookie or something for voting, I'm sure more people would show up. Hell I would. Vote for whoever, but hot-damn! Free cookie!

  • Because all of the president wanna be's are schmucks! I don't know what to do to change it, that's why I'm not going into politics.

  • The stats say it all...we're lazy.

  • Nothing can be done about this. The average American is so dumb, that he cannot read the instructions, and therefore cannot vote.

  • my feeling is that it's because there's not all that much difference between the two parties we have to chose from. niether is really going to alter the status quo much; they pay lip service to different ideals, but the machinations and the political process make for very little difference in outcomes. there are a few real differences-- abortion policy, for example--and those who care about those issues vote.

  • I suppose I could be considered a direct cause for the "low voter turn-out" - I have never voted; I believe the reason I don't is because it seems to be a big "head game". I can't seem to sort out the real issues - it is very frustrating to deal with all the bullshit - so I have no interest. To change this, I think it would take a very impressive, down-to-earth human being (if there are any left) who could capture and keep my attention. Does it really matter who you vote for? (and please no lecture on "one person can make the difference) Because people are lazy. It takes effort to vote, and it is far easier for people to talk about what they believe than actually act on it. And because nobody listens to them, because they don't vote, then they figure nobody will ever listen to them and they write the whole thing off. (This really annoys me.) What to do about it? Voting by mail might work. Or maybe not. Maybe apathetic people should just be shot. They certainly don't seem to care about the terrible destruction that a few dedicated voters can do, when the majority stays home.

    My answer:

    I feel that people don't vote because they don't realize the power of the vote. But more importantly, they take the right for granted. Were people no longer allowed to vote they would feel outraged. If they were then given the right back they would vote, at least for a while. This however, is not practical. A more practical solution would involve easier absentee baloting.

    I however, do not mind the low turnout. The people that do not vote tend to be the people ignorant of the issues. I would rather that only knowledgable people vote - and by not encouraging the general populace to vote acomplish this.

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