theories on declining Voter turnout

[Corporate Thug]

can anybody point me to some theories on why voter turnout is on the decline?

thanx

 

[miguel]

Originally posted by: shady06
can anybody point me to some theories on why voter turnout is on the decline?

thanx

Errr, where's your stats that voter turnout is on the decline?
It may actually be on the rise:

1996: 49.08%
2000: 51.3%


http://www.fec.gov/elections.html

I suppose it depends on how you count voter turnout...

 

[Corporate Thug]

http://www.idea.int/voter_turnout/voter_turnout1.html

 

[ReiAyanami]

because on a rational level each individual voter has virtually zero chance of changing the election results therefore they spend zero time to vote. if u really wanted high voter turn-out u can institute a reverse poll tax like Australia uses, and they have 96% voter turnouts

(or the communist/saddam hussein "100% turnout" method of "whether you vote or not, the vote has already been registered in your name for you"

 

[Corporate Thug]

ok, let me be more specific. the hypothesis i HAVE TO support is that voter decline is evidence of an apathetic, uninformed electorate. please dont say dont support this hypothesis becuase I HAVE TO.

anyway, i need an ALTERNATE hypothesis to disapprove

ReiAyanami, you idea is very good and i will use it in support of an apathetic electorate but i really need an alternate hypothesis to disprove

 

[Genesys]

people are just too lazy to get off their fat a$$ to go do something that matters!

or theyre just "too busy"

 

[sMiLeYz]

People are unsatisfied with the system, they are disfrenchiased with politics and politicians in general. Most people don't have the time and they don't see whether or not their vote would count/change the system. I believe it's called Election 2000 syndrome.

What's encouraging however, are the fact that alot of "non-voters" I've talked to are very pissed at George W. Bush.

I volunteer for Rock the Vote, and that's what most people tell me anyway.

 

[CADsortaGUY]

Originally posted by: sMiLeYz
People are unsatisfied with the system, they are disfrenchiased with politics and politicians in general. Most people don't have the time and they don't see whether or not their vote would count/change the system. I believe it's called Election 2000 syndrome.

What's encouraging however, are the fact that alot of "non-voters" I've talked to are very pissed at George W. Bush.

I volunteer for Rock the Vote, and that's what most people tell me anyway.

Just a comment.
It's hard to say what effect the 2000 election has has on voter turn out since we haven't had a nation wide election since...but IMO it(the Floriduh situation) would help show people how much their vote really does matter since the vote was that close. It seems to strengthen the idea that every vote is important.

Now overall I think there is sense of "disenfranchisement" and apathy, but with an electorate that is so divided it's hard to not to think that way. Losing tends to make those that voted for the loser to feel "disenfranchised" especially when it's a close election. The people who don't vote because they don't think it matters are the ones who are disenfranchising themselves. I don't feel like my vote is wasted even though in Iowa my Presidential vote is almost meaningless since we have a few large patches of "the others" which means my state is usually Blue.

CkG