According to the Washington Secretary of State there was an 81.16 percent voter turnout this general election, with 38.48 percent voting in the primaries. The turnout drops significantly in non-presidential elections, showing a 52.95 percent statewide turnout for the 2011 elections. Media outlets stream countless hours of airtime and news reports on the presidential race, which in turn convinces unassuming citizens that the big election is the important one.
A month has passed since the election; the pinnacle of citizen’s democratic participation has come and gone. Clearly there have been some profound changes within our government that many of us are excited about—here in WA marijuana is finally legal and same-sex couples can marry—but our lives have continued on more or less the same as before.
Throughout the election there was a lot of emphasis put on the undecided voters, those who just could not figure out which nominee would best improve their lives. This trend is reoccurring every presidential election, it continues to go acknowledged that the President is not really the figurehead representing individuals’ voices. Remember all those checks and balances on power within the U.S. Government you learned about it school (hopefully)? Your vote that truly has significant affect on your life is in the local and statewide elections. And for some reason those are the elections with the weakest turnout.
While the local elections are the ones where individual votes count a lot more, people are not paying as much attention to what is going on locally. Do you know who your senators are? Your congressman? This past election I heard countless peers admitting their uninformed stance on many local measures and races. Some may decide to simply vote a straight Democrat or Republican ticket, while others fill in the box of whatever name they like most—either way, taking too many citizens are taking for granted their fundamental democratic right.
America has one of the lowest voter turnouts amongst other wealthy countries. Australia imposes strictly enforced laws that generate high turnout; those who do not vote are fined. India has instated a National Voters Day. But, mandatory turnout laws would most likely be seen as coercive overstepping of state power here in America. Forcing unconcerned citizens to vote is in no way the solution and will not advance meaningful contribution to the democratic process.
Some states have been working to increase turnout, with initiatives like Election Day voter registration, Idaho, Iowa, Maine, Minnesota, Montana, New Hampshire, Wisconsin, Wyoming, and Washington DC. Unfortunately, having the access to vote does not necessitate informed voters. There is not an immediate antidote for indifference, but it can start with educating ourselves and working to engage in meaningful political conversations with our peers.
Politics can seems mundane at times, but every individual should have some issue they are concerned with. Our government exists to protect out rights and represent the people. Individual involvement begins at a local level. Here at Puget Sound we are lucky enough to have diverse academic courses and many forums to engender discussion. It is critical we acknowledge the exceptional environment we live in and take advantage of all the resources to broaden our understanding of the world.