Low Turnout In Texas Essay

1. How can we explain the low voting turnout, and low participation in general, in Texas? Consider how political culture, socio-economics, race/ethnicity, age, institutional laws etc. may affect these low rates.

Rates of political participation and voting turnout in Texas are low compared with the rest of the nation. Texas was among the most restrictive states in its voting laws through the institution of such things as the poll tax, women’s suffrage, the white primary, restrictions on the military vote, a long residence requirement, property ownership as a requirement for voting in bond elections, annual registration requirements, early registration requirements, and the linking of prospective jurors from the voting rolls. Additionally,

there are some demographic factors which have been playing a key role in the low voting and low participation in Texas: income, education, age, race/ethnicity, and citizenship status. Political participation seems to be much more among residents with higher incomes and higher education. Texas’s population is also relatively young, “with 27.3% of residents aged 18 or under, compared with 24% for the nation overall”, while the residents who participate in voting in Texas are often older than 30. Women appear to hold a slight edge, “with 63.4% of Texas women versus 59.7% of men reporting they were registered to vote in 2010”. As political scientists have long noted, racial minorities often have limited access to the resources that facilitate participation in politics. A significant registration drop-off is evident between Whites and other racial and ethnic groups. Citizenship status obviously determines one’s eligibility to register to vote, since only native-born or naturalized citizens are legally eligible. Additionally, voter registration in rural areas of Texas is higher than the state average, and it is lower in urban areas, where 58.6% report being registered.

Moreover, relatively noncompetitive elections, lack of information, Inconvenience and Obstacles to Voting, and the challenge of incorporating a rapidly changing population all may be contributing to lackluster civic health in Texas. Low voter turnout in Texas may be due in part to the state’s political culture, which is a mix of the traditionalistic and the individualistic. As a result, participation in politics is not as highly regarded as it is in other states, particularly those with a moralistic culture.

2.

What are the consequences of low turnout for Texas? Who is negatively affected by low turnout? Who benefits from low turnout? How can we as citizens improve turnout?

Low turnout may not be an accurate reflection of the will of the people. Low turnouts can lead to unequal representation among various parts of the population. The lower the turnout, the greater the chance that the election result is not the outcome preferred by the population of potential voters. Low turnout makes it possible for minorities to defeat majorities. The most important impact of low electoral turnout is that decisions are made by a minority of the population.

As a result, the people who participate in election such as Texans over 30 and those with higher incomes and higher levels of education may protect their rights better via their representatives.

Texas’s political culture is conservative. With low voting turnout, the belief in a limited role for government in response to social change will not be changed, so for the people who do not participate in election, they absolutely lose their opportunities for transformation.

A realistic goal is to help individuals improve their habits in a variety of ways large and small, knowing that each effort will improve overall civic

health

As citizens, we might support the voting at public places which are convenient for everybody such as schools, hospitals, shopping malls and suggest a better way of voting is online voting which is flexible for a lot of people. We can vote at our breaks or after work.

3. What is the controversy about the voterID law in Texas? What are the concerns about needing stricter voterID laws? Which political actors have these concerns and why? Which political actors are against a stricter voter ID law and why?

The controversy is that registered voters have to show their ID to be allowed to vote.

Texas has failed to meet the requirement, under the Voting Rights Act, to show that the measure would not disproportionately disenfranchise registered minority voters. Especially, Hispanics lack either a driver’s license or a personal identification card for voting. The voter ID law very probably reduces turnout of many Democratic and even some Republican voters.

The wave of new voting restrictions passed around the country, mostly by Republicans, after their victories in the 2010 elections. Supporters of the law argue that such restrictions are necessary to prevent fraud. On the other hand, voting law opponents contend these laws disproportionately affect elderly, minority and low-income groups that tend to vote Democratic. Obtaining photo ID can be costly and burdensome because photo ID laws create a new "financial barrier to the ballot box”. It would have prevented hundreds of thousands of Hispanic voters from the polls just because they lack a state-issued photo ID.

4. What do you think It means to be a “citizen” in Texas or the U.S.? Is participation still a necessary part of democratic citizenship for Texas? Is Texas still a democracy (high or low quality) if turnout is so

low?

In my opinion, being a citizen in Texas or the U.S. is a status that entails both specific rights(freedom, voting, etc) and duties( taxes, military, etc). Obviously, participation in politics is still a necessary part of democratic citizenship for Texas.

Since l990s, we have witnessed the rise of the Republican Party. Support from liberal activists and African Americans for civil rights loosened the allegiance of conservative white voters, activists, and contributors to the Democratic Party. Changes in party organizing and campaigning, including the shift to more expensive methods of campaigning, helped level the competitive landscape between the parties. The Republican Party, both in Texas and nationally, built a substantial advantage in fundraising. No matter which party is the leader of the state, Texas is still democracy. The voting turnout is low due to the restriction of law, demographic patterns, voting campaigns which are used for showing party identification trends and the organizational strength of the parties. Political parties provide a critical mechanism for citizens of varying interests and means to associate with others, to pool their resources and to attempt to influence institutions at all levels of government. Throughout the history of the Lone Star State, diverse interests (and coalitions of interests) have used political parties as vehicles for participating in politics and influencing government.