Midterm Election Turnout Isn’t So Different From Presidential Year Turnout
Some of this is attributable to the “midterm penalty,” the historical trend showing voters tend to reject the president’s party in midterm elections. The White House’s party lost seats in all but three of the past 26 midterm elections.
Chances are the midterm penalty will strike again in 2014. Democrats and Republicans are currently tied in national House ballot polls among registered voters, and over time the party not in the White House usually gains support. Add to this the fact that even in 2012 Democrats did worse among likely voters and you can see why the national tide will probably go against them once again. Perhaps the cliché should be, “It’s all about turnout, except for when it isn’t.”
It is time for us to take these matters seriously and pledge to ensure that no voter intimidation occurs everywhere: "A ballot is like a bullet. You don't throw your ballots until you see a target, and if that target is not within your reach, keep your ballot in your pocket"
Police say on Election Day (2012), Ethan walked into the Fountains at Canterbury Retirement Village to vote. Police say other voters noticed a handgun hanging from Ethan’s hip and some complained. Sisson was shown the door by elections monitors because open carry in public areas like polling places is still against the law.
SGT. JENNIFER WARDLOW: “They suggested possibly going out to his car putting it into his trunk, and that he would then be allowed to come back and vote.”
Police say Sisson returned two hours later, wearing a jacket and a hat that partially covered his face. He was allowed to vote. The arrest warrant says Sisson then took off his baseball cap and jacket and exposed his handgun on his hip. Ethan Sisson then told the inspector it was his right to have his gun with him. Sisson was then ordered to leave.
How Can We Increase Voter Turnout?
FairVote advocates a number of systemic electoral reforms that reverse the contextual reasons for low turnout.
Fair Representation Voting for legislative elections would allow for outcomes that better represent the diverse beliefs of the electorate, and could therefore combat the low voter turnout that we see in many winner-take-all plurality districts, where choices are limited.
A National Popular Vote (NPV) for president, which would make every vote in every state equally valuable in every election, would expand presidential campaigns from just ten states to all 50. As voter turnout is markedly lower in states that receive no presidential campaign attention, the reallocation of campaign resources to include non-battleground states would likely increase turnout in those states.
Instant Runoff Voting (IRV) for other single seat offices like mayor and governor would better represent the views of third party and independent voters, as more candidates would be inclined to run. Therefore, voters who might not feel that their views are represented in a two-party race would turn out to the polls to support their preferred candidate.
Universal Voter Registration would modernize voter registration in the United States, making government responsible for maintaining accurate and complete voter rolls, shifting our system from its current opt-in structure to an opt-out structure.
No more
manufactured dissonance!