Full exposition: I am not a citizen and therefore I cannot vote (it's painful)! While I cannot vote, I can tell you all about the electoral rules in other countries and explain why Europeans flock to the polls, while almost half of Americans prefer to sit out the presidential elections. And I can tell you why changing rules is much much more important than changing rulers (yes, rulers, in this day and age, aren't we more and more like subjects anyway?)
Change the rules, and 80% of Americans will vote in the next presidential election. I promise.
Here are some electoral rules that are designed to encourage citizens to vote. Excuse the snark. I'm angry:
- In Europe, elections are held on Sundays. That's right. Why? Because it makes sense. Most people don't have to go to work on Sundays. They have free time. So they can get up, go vote and then go to a brunch. Or they go to brunch first and vote later, whichever you prefer. I know, it made sense to hold elections on a Tuesday two hundred years ago. Not anymore.
- In most countries, people are registered automatically by their government when they turn eighteen. All you have to do as a citizen is to show up at the polls on the election day.
- Accessibility: Many countries turn every government owned building into a voting location. You can walk to the nearest one, where you are registered, usually in less than 10 minutes. The line, if there is one, consists of several people. You usually don't have to wait more than a few minutes. But those countries are rich and they have the resources to spend for their elections, right?
- Financial pressure: In some countries, you pay a fine for not voting. Let's see. Whether you like it or not, you're registered. And if you don't show up and vote, the government fines you. Not too much, but guess what. When you fine people, the poor vote and it's only the rich who can "afford" not to vote.
- Shame: In some towns in Italy, there is a "list of shame". They publicize the names of those who did not vote. Do you think it'd work in the US?
- Political Blackout: In many countries, political ads are banned on the day of the political election. There's a blackout on election-related news in the media. I know, it's constitutionally impossible to do any such thing here, free speech and all (and gods know, I love the first amendment), but I tell you, it's good to have a day off of the insanity that is the electoral campaign! No ads, no talking-heads, no spin...
- Patience: And in many countries, you can't count the votes, until all the polls are closed. Again, I know, this is a huge country, with multiple time zones. But we could wait for a couple of hours. We could wait just a little so that the fine people of California don't feel their vote is meaningless and that the outcome is already decided.
- One person, one vote: I had to bring this up. One vote from Wyoming is equal to approximately one million votes from New York (or 3.66-thanks Pizzapotamus!). And people seem to think this is democratic and that it makes sense. It isn't, it doesn't. One person, one vote? Hardly. I respect state rights and whatnot, but how is this just?
- Proportional representation: I love proportional representation. I can write a book on its benefits and I think I will. I can vote for a party that gets only 4% of the votes and I get to be represented at a national level. Isn't that cool?
- Citizen rights: Why do felons lose the right to vote in some states? What exactly is the justification for this shameless practice? If they can't vote, can they at least stop paying taxes? Can someone explain this to me?
- Electoral college: What? You mean you're not voting for a president, but a guy who will vote for the president for you. Whatever.
- Gerrymandering: makes a mockery of the democratic process. Show me another country with such oddly-shaped districts, I'll buy you a beer. America deserves rectangular-ish and oval-ish districts.
Go out there and register as many people as possible until October. That's great. Really. But, if you really want more Americans to vote, get together and change the system, the system that systematically disenfranchises Americans. Voting is not a privilege. It is a right, it is a duty, but most importantly, it is the best way to engage citizens in the political process.