Voter turnout in local, state and national elections is low in the US. The voter turnout across the US during presidential elections hovers at around 60 percent. In one governor election in the state of Kentucky, the voter turnout was 30 percent, showing that most individuals are not exercising their voting rights in key elections. This problem is not prevalent only in the US; in OECD countries, the average voter turnout is around 70 percent.
Using game theory, it can be argued that a person should not vote because their one vote will not necessarily change the outcome of the election, given that everyone else votes. However, if everyone thinks the same way, we end up having few people deciding who will be in charge of the government.
One way of making people vote is to make it mandatory, like that in Australia. That itself may be unpopular. A better way I think is to make voting easier. It might be cumbersome for people to line up to vote, especially when in many countries, election day is not a public holiday. People who work on hourly jobs, or who cannot get time off may be discouraged to vote. With the rise of internet technology, governments could use internet for voting. People who are registered voters could get a special code from the government that they could use to vote on a specific website, from their smartphones or computers. Kiosks can be set up in different convenient locations, like schools, colleges, and even coffee shops or convenience stores so that people can cast their votes while dropping their children off to school or when picking up breakfast/coffee. These steps could make voting process easier which can increase voter turnout in all forms of elections.
Thank you!
ReplyDelete