The low turnout rates of elections, particularly midterms, erode our democracy and heighten the risk of electing representatives that do not reflect the values of the electorate.

According to a Wednesday U.S. News and World Report article, this midterm election had 36.3 percent turnout in comparison to 40.9 percent in the 2010 midterms. Decreasing voter turnout rates are particularly problematic considering those who turn out to vote are unrepresentative of the general population.

Considering the dismal turnout rates it is crucial that we consider options to make voting more accessible and encourage people to get to the polls. We need to find solutions — such as election-day registration or online voting — to increase the voter turnout rates and get more people involved in politics.

Essentially, the low voter turnout rates are causing different groups of Americans to be represented more or less in the political system. These gaps can greatly affect the results of elections and are important to work toward resolving. For example, 18–29 year olds represented just 13 percent of those who voted this election, the smallest percentage of any generation eligible to vote.

In comparison to other democracies, the United States has abnormally low voter turnout rates. Voting and general civic engagement is essential to the health of a democracy.

To fix low turnout rates, it is imperative that same day voter registration be expanded to as many states as possible. Currently, only 10 states and the District of Columbia offer election-day registration. Appropriate measures are being taken in these states to prevent fraud and ensure that only eligible voters are able to cast ballots.

In New York, in order to be eligible to vote in an election you have to be registered 25 days before the election. This poses a problem because most of the press and information surrounding elections is focused closer to the elections. It is important to allow people to register to vote the day of, when the election is in the forefront of their minds and when others are putting pressure on them to vote.

It is ridiculous that advance voter registration exists in states like New York. It clearly has the potential to reduce the voter turnout particularly among young people who have had less opportunity to register to vote.
In addition to day of registration, other changes could make voting much more accessible. Some countries like Canada, Norway, Australia and Estonia have begun to implement online voting systems. This increased accessibility would undoubtedly increase voter turnout.

Obviously there are some major concerns about security with online voting. In pilot online voting systems that were tested in Washington D.C., hackers were able to break into the system in 36 hours. Because this is likely the major deterrent to online voting, it is absolutely essential that any online system is as secure as the current voting systems. But other experts argue that if state of the art technology was used that the system would have the potential to be secure.

Online voting may or may not be possible, but there need to be some major changes in the voting process to adapt to the changing needs of Americans. Online voting would not only cater to the needs and desires of young Americans but would also make voting more accessible for the elderly and disabled.

Overall, voting accessibility needs to be increased. Simple changes, such as the expansion of day-of voter registration would make voting more accessible. More extreme, and perhaps more effective, changes need to continue to be explored, such as online voting. Increasing accessibility for many groups would be very likely to make a major difference in overall turnout rates.

Rachel Potter is a senior political science and sociology major. Her column appears weekly. She can be reached at [email protected].

Published on November 11, 2014 at 12:01 am