Factors Affecting Voter Turnout In The United States

Voter turnout in the United States is much lower than that of other countries. According to a Pew Research Center article by Drew Desilver, voter turnout in the United States ranked 31st among the 34 countries in the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. In comparison to our North American neighbors, Mexico and Canada ranked 18th and 29th respectively. Ranking at number one and two were Belgium and Turkey, however those countries have a compulsory voting system which explains the high voter turnout. Topping the polls for non-compulsory countries were Sweden at number three and Denmark at number four. Only Japan (32nd), Chile (33rd) and Switzerland (35th)fell below the United States.

Numerous factors affect voter turnout in the United States. For example, some voters can’t get time off work, are on vacation or consider themselves too busy to cast their vote. Other times voters don’t like the candidates running for office or may not make it to the polls due to illness or disabilities. Other factors that affect voter turnout is the registration process, this requirement for registration prior to voting decreases voter turnout (Boundless).

Voter turnout in Texas is considerably lower than that of the United States.

During the 1972 to 2008 Presidential elections the United States voter turnout was on average 54.51 percent compared to Texas voter turnout at 47.29 percent, 7.22 percent lower. In off-year Congressional elections United States voter turnout was on average 37.56 percent and Texas voter turnout was 33.86 percent a difference of 3.6 percent. As you can see from the numbers, the gap in Texas voter turnout during Presidential elections was almost twice what it is during off-year Congressional elections. Texas voter turnout has slowly continued to increase since 1972 in both Presidential and off-year Congressional elections, however still lags behind voter turnout in the United

States.
Historical factors which have led to low voter turnout include the fact that voters were required to be white land owners and have certain religious beliefs, however in the 1820s to 1830s the requirements for church membership and landownership were removed. Another historical factor was slaves were denied the right to vote up until the Fourteenth and Fifteenth Amendments were enacted, helping guarantee freed slaves the right to vote. Southern states bypassed the Fourteenth and Fifteenth Amendments by implementing legal and informal methods, such as poll taxes, white-only primaries and literacy test, to keep African American citizens from voting. It wasn’t until 1965 when the Voting Rights Act was passed by congress that the federal government began enforcing African American’s right to vote. Women were also denied the right to vote up until the Nineteenth Amendment in the 1920s. Some contemporary factors which have led to low voter turnout include the continued use to poll taxes up until 1964 when the Twenty-fourth Amendment banned outlawed the poll tax. With the ban on poll taxes, Texas implemented a new system requiring annual voter registration with a relatively short window early in the year. This short period for annual registration often left minorities unable to vote due to missing the early deadline. In 1971, the annual registration was found in violation of the Equal Protect Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment. Negative campaigning also discourages voters, up to five percent, from going to the polls (Newell et al 155). Wealth and poverty also continue to play a role in voter turnout, Texas is considered a poor state with more than 17 percent of its citizens consider below the poverty line. The poverty factor is important since most who fail into that category are consider less educated and usually fail to vote.
One step Texas could take to increase voter turnout is to register more voters, here are three examples of how Texas could register more citizens. First, allowing same day voter registration at the polls could potential led to drastic increases in voter turnout. Secondly, implement an online registration process, which not only eases the process for voters, but can also save Texas time and money (Underhill and Hubler). Lastly voter registration could be automatic whenever you re-new or apply for a driver’s license. All three of these examples would easy the process for voter registration and open up the opportunity for countless citizens to cast their vote.
Other ways to increase voter turnout is to simplify and streamline the voting process. Use technology to map polling station locations and identify current wait times. No one enjoys waiting in line, by displaying the current wait time it will allows voters to choose which polling locations have to shortest wait, thus allowing them to get back to their daily routine. You can also experiment with fast pass technology, such as what amusement parks use. Pick up a fast pass online for a return time later in the day. An online voting system would reach the most citizens out of any method and surely would increase voting, however it also opens up the voting system to tampering by cyber criminals.