Decline in Voter Turnout?

Question

What are two factors that have contributed to the decline in turnout in u.s. elections?

and;

What are two reasons why voter turnout has been higher in presidential elections than in midterm elections?

Answer 1

A voter turnout of 40%, while better than it has been, should be embarrassing to all Americans. We proclaim our democracy to be the ideal for the rest of the world, even to the point of forcing it on others, but fail to take part in it ourselves.

Two factors: voter apathy, and the feeling that the individual vote doesn't count.

Presidential elections typically have a lot more press, more nationwide interest. Midterms are more local in nature, and don't generate the same audience or attention.

Answer 2

Why is there always lower turnout in midterms than in leap years?

Don't overestimate the intelligence of all Americans who are registered to vote. Now, I don't mean to suggest that a majority of voters are retards, but obviously there is a pretty significant minority of voters who can't see past the end of their nose and don't know jack about American government. I think it rather obvious that, for some Americans, there is only one election that matters and that is the Presidential election. These are the kind of people who think that Presidents can make the economy work right (or wrong) and they think the Prez can make laws. If something isn't going right in America, they blame the President; if something is being down excellently, they give the Prez the credit for it. Do they even understand what Congress does? I doubt it. So if the election is "only" about Congress members, Governors, and state legislatures, these people ask themselves "why bother?"

(BTW, I didn't vote at all. Not yesterday nor in 2004. I used to vote, regularly, in virtually all elections. But now I am at the point in which I say, "The Supreme Court is too powerful. And I can't vote for them in such a way as to reduce their power. There's nothing I can do to end the corruption I believe that there is in the SC, so ................. 'why bother?' ")

Answer 3

I believe the answer is the same for both of your questions; no viable candidates in either! On an interesting note, where I live, voter turn-out was so high that they ran out of ballots several times. Yet, only 52% of the registered voters even bothered to vote. We've become an apathetic society when it comes to our voting privileges.

Answer 4

Sorry to burst the bubble of the socialists, but turnout was about 40% on Tuesday, pretty much in the range of what it usually is during mid-term elections.

Answer 5

I didn't vote because it is tough to find out any real information about the candidates. All of the ads and news stories are about what is wrong with the opposition and how horrible they really are. I'm more scared to cast an uninformed vote than to not vote at all. I wish more people would take that perspective.

Answer 6

I'm not sure, but I would like to know why only about 30% of Republicans voted. I mean, did they believe the hype? And, it WAS NOT a landslide yesterday. Many, many races were down to the wire and then some, like the senate race in Virginia.

Answer 7

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Voter_turnout

Here's one article on the subject, although my state had a great turnout for this election...

My thought is that a large number of people have become rather apathetic in recent years. I can't tell you how many people I know who tell they don't vote because their vote doesn't count. So there is one excuse for you. ; )

Answer 8

Lack of interests because of the perceived cheating, and
Midterm election is less interesting because there are no presidential candidates.

Answer 9

this is a red signal for our democracy. people don't wanna elect even a lesser evil !! most of the politicians are untrustworthy, unethical & heartless hopeless people. mostly they gets cream & butter while we are not getting even butter-milk and clean water/ air. why bother to vote if we can not change this corrupt system. !!!

Answer 10

It was a landslide last night, what are you talking about?