Voter Turnout Rates in United States Term Paper

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Introduction

Voter turnout in the United States changes from state to state. An excellent example to show how this variation occurs is the 2012 presidential election, where there were 45% voter turnout in Hawaiians and 76% Minnesotans. Many different factors determine the number of people who cast ballots (Larocca & Klemanski, 2011). According to Brenna Center (2020), lawmakers in 29 states have proposed bills that would encourage more voting. The bills aim to streamline the voter registration process, facilitate absentee voting, allow people with past convictions to vote, and promote more early in-person voting. Something different is happening in 15 fifteen states with bills that make the voting process more complex being suggested. Some of the restrictions include reduced support to voters, limitations on voter ID, harsh punishment for electoral related crimes, and complicated processes for absentee voting. Legislators from the 15 states argue that their purpose is to secure elections to avoid a repeat of election credibility concerns raised in the 2016 presidential elections. Different factors determine voter turnout, but in this paper, the focus will be on the voter registration process and voter identification procedures. The document explains how voter participation can be increased through reduced voter registration requirements, more voting techniques, and perfecting voter identification.

Background

In the 2016 Americans presidential election, about 92 million eligible voters did not turn out. The midterm election in 2014 was the worst, with over 143 million American voters not showing up. The 2014 turnout was the lowest in 72years (Root & Kennedy, 2018). One pillar of a democracy is a fair representation in government, and voting is the only way to place a leader of choice in the different government positions. In line with the Pew Research Center survey of 2018, 74% of the participants rated voting as an essential activity that every loyal citizen should participate in. Voting, obeying the law, and paying taxes are of the same weight (Pew Research Center, 2018). Many Americans seem to understand the importance of voting and their role in making political decisions but why they don't turn out remains the question. The unnecessary procedure that complicates the voting process could be the cause of low electoral participation. Feeling isolated by the government is also a possible reason for not voting.

The United States can streamline the voting system by integrating pro-voter policies to encourage a higher voter turnout. All unnecessary barriers, such as bumpy registration and voting processes, should be abolished to achieve this positive change. More focus should be on ensuring secure counting of votes to guarantee each casted vote count. Automating voter registration (AVR) could increase the number of registered voters in 50 states by over 50 million in one year. Implementation of automatic voting systems should also include the District of Columbia. (Root & Kennedy, 2018). Restoring a right to vote to offenders and ex-offenders can also raise the number of eligible voters by 6 million. Campaigns to create awareness of the importance of voting should also be encouraged.

Registration Requirements

The minimum qualification for one to be entitled to vote in the United States is being a citizen, residing in the US, and aged eighteen years and above. Those are the basic requirements, but states include other regulations that reduce the voting-eligible population (VEP). An example of the added condition includes being mentally competent and having no active criminal case (Shino & Smith, 2018). Restriction for people with a criminal record may vary from state to state, with some states enforcing unusual requirements. In states such as Kentucky and Florida, ex-felons and felons lose their right to vote unless pardoned by the governor. In Nevada and Mississippi, former prisoners can claim back their voting rights. Having clean criminal records is not a requirement to be a Vermont voter except if the crime is related to elections.

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In Maine, a prisoner can exercise their right as long as they are serving in Maine prisons.

Some States include other requirements that are not related to the crime during the voter registration process. Wisconsin caution voters not to engage in any form of wanger on election outcomes and Vermont voters are required to recite the "Voter's Oath" before registering as an eligible voter. The "Voter's Oath" is a declaration that one would vote with conscience and "without fear or favor of any person" (Ruth, Matusitz & Simi, 2017).

To grant all Americans a fair voting opportunity, Congress passed the National Voter Registration Act of 1993. The bill is also known as the "Motor Voter Act" and "NVRA." The bill was a significant milestone to have more Americans participate in ballot casting. The law was meant to make both registration and voting process friendly for all Americans. Increasing the methods available for voter registration and voting was supposed to attract more people to the ballot. To even make the process easier and obvious, section 5 of the act allowed individual to…

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…The population eligible to vote but with no relevant identification documents is not very clear. This is because of variation in the documents needed in different states. Accurate data should consider both voting-age and demographic characteristics of a state to write a considerate conclusion. The available study that engaged six states shows that 15% of people entitled to vote lack the required identification document, with minority communities leading with 20 percent. States such as New Mexico, Washington, California, and Wisconsin were not included in the study, yet they require a government-issued photo ID to vote. That is why this study cannot be used to write significant conclusions

Identification procedures termed as strictest require voters to provide an identification card, and then the process of matching the signatures accompanies. The sign must match what is recorded in the voters' register. In some cases, picture identification is needed. Many identification process requirements can push away potential voters, but research shows that identification law has an insignificant effect on voting behavior. Major issues that affect the voter's behaviors include socioeconomic factors, the competitiveness of campaigns, institutional structures, state ballot, and political affiliations (Mycoff, Wagner & Wilson, 2009). This does not mean that streamlining the voter identification process is not necessary. The study shows that it can affect voter turnout but in low percentages when compared to other factors. This effect also differs from state to state, with some states recording more effects than others.

Conclusion

One of the characteristics of democracy is ensuring a bigger percentage of its population exercises its voting right. The United States is termed as one of the countries where democracy has grown for years. Therefore, it's the responsibility of the government to facilitate smooth voter registration and voting process. The voting process is done differently in different states, but Congress has a common law that sets the minimum standard. The US states are either affiliated with the democratic or republic party and depending on states leaning; the electoral law is implemented differently. This paper's argument was based on the impact of voter registration, voter identification, and voting system on voter turnout. Logically speaking, the voting system is the primary determinant of voter turnout. Other factors such as voter identification and voter registration could affect but no clear barriers to stop anyone from registering as a voter. Some states indeed have strict processes, but it's for everyone. Considering both empirical and theoretical arguments, we can conclude that it is….....

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