Blog Post 1.4 "Why People Don't Vote"

56.8% percent of Americans voted in the 2012 election, and 84% of registered voters voted. Often, Americans forget to register because of the limits on registration time. They may also be indifferent about the election until the last moment, when it is too late to register. The majority of the nonvoting electorate, however, stays indifferent about the election and candidates, unwilling to form an opinion.

Those who grow up poorer and with fewer American roots are less likely to feel that their vote will count because unfavorable circumstances make them think that no change is possible and there is no community expectation of civic responsibility.

Furthermore, America has too many elections that most voters can't keep up with. As a result, Americans may be desensitized towards democracy and carry out a streak of non-voting because of defeatist attitudes following a previous failure to vote.

The lack of choice when it comes to party affiliation may also dissuade American voters, who increasingly have unique sets of values, from being able to choose one party over the other. Parties encourage those who vote reliably (those who care about an issue on which a party takes a different stance from the other) to turn out but focus less on the rest of Americans, who may choose the other side despite the parties' efforts.

Oregon has been experimenting with mail-in votes to make voting more convenient, but some focus more on making elections more fun by having election festivals. While this may increase voter turnout, the task of evaluating candidates may devolve into selecting the most fun party to attend, and considering the increasing disability of the average American to listen to views contrary to their own, voting festivals will likely become segregated along ideological lines, furthering political polarization. These festivals would also risk simply becoming last-minute rallies for candidates, where formerly unenthusiastic voters are cajoled into uninformed decisions through alcohol and manipulative social interactions.

Of course, the United States can simply enact mandatory laws and rely on the desire in Americans to follow the law, even when enforcement is lax and there is only a minor punishment.