Voter Turnout - Why so low?

[Michael_UK]

I'm a brit, and I was interested in why turnout at US presidential elections is so low.

I found some statistics for 1924 - 2000, and discovered that the average turnout was 55%.

http://www.fairvote.org/turnout/preturn.htm

A similar analysis shows turnout at UK general elections to be 75% for the same period.

http://www.parliament.uk/commons/lib/research/rp2004/rp04-061.pdf


In 2001, we had 59% turnout, the lowest since 1918 (when we were still fighting a war), so low turnout here appears to be a modern phenomenon, probably due to apathy. It appears fairly consistent in US politics. Are there structural reasons why this is so?

Thanks

[Tandalayo_Scheisskopf]

1. Because...

We are a bunch of bucketheads, Michael. Full stop. Like a drunk, we must be presented with a crisis before we wake up.

[BlueEyedSon]

2. Because of apathy, poor civics education, perceived lack of choices

And a really sucky news media doesn't help either

[Michael_UK]

5. Does the size of the country make a difference?

I can't help thinking there must be something else, other than apathy.

[T Roosevelt]

3. Politically lazy people who think their vote doesn't count

We've been trained that way...

[SammyWinstonJack]

4. I voted and apparently our votes don't count.

:-(

[OneBlueSky]

6. many people believe their vote doesn't mean anything . . .

and based on the results of this election, they may be right . . .

others are just lazy . . . they're content to let someone else do it . . . and live with the consequences . . .

and others are just plain stupid . . . they don't know which countries border the US, who's on the Supreme Court, or even what the Supreme Court is . . .

[DebJ]

7. fat, lazy, basically happy people who think ingnorance is bliss

[LuminousX]

8. Sometimes a non-vote is a vote against the system

[calico1]

9. Apathy, apathy and more apathy.

Americans like to bitch, moan, groan and complain. (Well, half of them). But they can't be bothered to get involved and vote. That is the sad truth.

[LisaLynne]

10. One of the best tricks those in power pulled ...

on the American people long ago was getting the meme "You can't fight City Hall" going. I honestly believe that the perception that our votes don't matter, that politics is something that is far removed from us and certainly nothing we can get involved with and influence, etc is what keeps people away from the polls.

[SoCalDem]

11. You have parliament..we have "cheater-take-all"

When your people go to the polls, they are at least assured of some representation ..your govt has to have coalitions..Ours just uses bully tactics by the republicans who "win".

[GreenPartyVoter]

12. Some of us don't like the way our system is set up and feel like

our vote is pointless.

-------------------------------------------------------
Help expose the 2004 Election Fraud!
http://geocities.com/greenpartyvoter/electionreform.htm

[Kellanved]

13. IMHO it is a bigger hazzle to vote

Just another outsider's observation:
I read a lot about the complicated Registration process (and have seen quite a bit of it), long queues in front of the polling places, a voting system that makes many votes useless and so on.

Comparing that to the five-minute ritual (go to the next corner, make two crosses, sign a list, throw the ballot into the box - done), I see how it may affect the turnout.

[Mizmoon]

14. People are comfortable in their lives

and for many of them politics seems like a pointless bunch of inane jabbering about stuff that doesn't really matter to their daily lives. Either that or their convinced that their vote is insignificant among the millions of other votes.

[Mend]

15. We Voted in Florida

and we really don't believe our votes were counted....we voted anyway but I could almost understand if some people didn't bother. Also, it was reported that there were some places that used to have five voting machines that went down to three voting machines so that people had to wait in line for hours. Also people are in total denial. They have been told that there is no difference between the parties....there are people here on DU still saying that or saying they will go back to voting for green candidates who can't win. People who feel helpless and hopeless won't even try to fight, they just allow the long, slow, descent into hell. Unfortunately, they are taking the rest of us with them.