Voter Apathy In The United States
America is arguably the most influential nation in the world, but has one of the lowest voter turnouts. Less than 57% of the United States electorate does not vote to the hurdles that it takes to exercise a basic right. The reasons for voter apathy include not registering, inability to get to the polls and the type of election.
To begin, registration in the United States does not have automatic registration. Only some states have made “same-day registration” available or offering voter registration while getting a driver’s license (BBC News). Voters are also asked to identify with a party before being able to participate in primary elections, which are predominately held by the major parties. This system excludes the independent or third
party voters. Moreover, getting to the polls is a struggle that many deal with. Fortune’s Laura Lorenzetti states that 40% of voters 65 years old or older cannot get to the polls due to illness or disability. That being said, voters over 50 years old make up for half of the voter turnout. New voters are also less likely to be informed when it comes to where their polling place is, let alone that they have the ability to use a mail-in ballot while away at school. This intimidation is what causes over 70% of Americans 18-30 not to vote. Finally, a leading cause of voter apathy is the type election. Off-year elections or non-presidential elections have the lowest voter turnout rates. For example, What Affects Voter Turnout Rates has found that during the average mayoral election from 1996-2012 averaged a voter turnout of 25.8%. In a similar way voters do not participate in primaries for presidential elections with the same enthusiasm as they do with the presidential elections. In conclusion, voter apathy is caused by the struggles of getting out and voting, finding an election worth the hassle of jumping through the hoops of registering.
To begin, registration in the United States does not have automatic registration. Only some states have made “same-day registration” available or offering voter registration while getting a driver’s license (BBC News). Voters are also asked to identify with a party before being able to participate in primary elections, which are predominately held by the major parties. This system excludes the independent or third
party voters. Moreover, getting to the polls is a struggle that many deal with. Fortune’s Laura Lorenzetti states that 40% of voters 65 years old or older cannot get to the polls due to illness or disability. That being said, voters over 50 years old make up for half of the voter turnout. New voters are also less likely to be informed when it comes to where their polling place is, let alone that they have the ability to use a mail-in ballot while away at school. This intimidation is what causes over 70% of Americans 18-30 not to vote. Finally, a leading cause of voter apathy is the type election. Off-year elections or non-presidential elections have the lowest voter turnout rates. For example, What Affects Voter Turnout Rates has found that during the average mayoral election from 1996-2012 averaged a voter turnout of 25.8%. In a similar way voters do not participate in primaries for presidential elections with the same enthusiasm as they do with the presidential elections. In conclusion, voter apathy is caused by the struggles of getting out and voting, finding an election worth the hassle of jumping through the hoops of registering.