Voter Turnout Factors
Voter turnout is affected by a variety of causes, the most important of which are election rules and demographics.
Election Rules
Some rules, such as voter registration and citizenship laws, have a direct effect on voter turnout (Blais 112).
Demographics
In terms of demographics, the majority of voters are older, more educated, and more affluent. Voter turnout is also poor due to reasons such as voter fatigue, suppression, and, in some circumstances, electors saying that they do not have enough spare time to vote (Blais 115).
Improving Voter Turnout
Growing voter turnout, in my view, could entail addressing the underlying causes. One way is through the registration of more people by the use of an automated system of registration. The United States government should adopt a universal system of voter registration which would lead to the modernization of the registration process. There also needs to be fair representation during voting which is likely to allow outcomes that match with the diverse beliefs of all the voters. Most of the elections are winner take it all, and this leads to low voter turnout because people feel that sometimes their voting efforts go unrepresented (Blais 119). I also believe that introducing a national popular vote for the presidential candidates is likely to make each and every voter valuable no matter the state he/she comes from which will promote a higher turnout.
My thoughts are that the current system of voting is the reason for the lower voter turnout that is being experienced. It is, therefore, crucial for the government to consider revising the current system and adopt new modern ways of voter registration as well as voting. One proposal is the adopting of the online system of registration and voting which seems to be working well in some countries.
Work Cited
Blais, André. “What affects voter turnout?.” Annual. Review. Political. Science. 9 (2006): 111-125.