21st November 2014, 9:01 PM
Yeah, DJ, you're absolutely right -- the biggest problem we have is that younger and minority people just don't vote most of the time. Some turn out for presidential elections, but that's it. The end result is that apparently this election had maybe the highest percentage of age 60+ voters EVER! Considering that, we're just lucky that things weren't even worse... older people are of course much more likely to vote, and to vote Republican.
And then a lot of those young people who didn't bother voting then complain about the government... but then don't bother to vote, ensuring that horrible right-wing nutcases continue to govern their states (this one included), because most states have governor elections on off years. It's a horrible cycle! The Democratic Party has tried to use turnout operations to get people to actually vote, but that can only help a bit, it can't entirely counteract the combination of young people not voting and old people being self-motivated to vote against liberals.
As for methods to increase voter participation, such as same-day voter registration, internet voting, having voting happen on a weekend or holiday or such, etc... the Republicans don't want any of those things to happen, because the fewer people vote the better they do, so no changes are likely. They'll ride this wave of racist bigotry for as long as they can, as long as it gets them elected!
Horrendous stuff. And by not voting, most Americans are complicit in it. Not even 40% of the American people voted in this year's election. And it mattered, a lot. Pathetic...
And then a lot of those young people who didn't bother voting then complain about the government... but then don't bother to vote, ensuring that horrible right-wing nutcases continue to govern their states (this one included), because most states have governor elections on off years. It's a horrible cycle! The Democratic Party has tried to use turnout operations to get people to actually vote, but that can only help a bit, it can't entirely counteract the combination of young people not voting and old people being self-motivated to vote against liberals.
As for methods to increase voter participation, such as same-day voter registration, internet voting, having voting happen on a weekend or holiday or such, etc... the Republicans don't want any of those things to happen, because the fewer people vote the better they do, so no changes are likely. They'll ride this wave of racist bigotry for as long as they can, as long as it gets them elected!
Horrendous stuff. And by not voting, most Americans are complicit in it. Not even 40% of the American people voted in this year's election. And it mattered, a lot. Pathetic...