Low Voter Turnout In America

Throughout American history, there has been a steady decline in voter turnout. Not only has this been "humiliating" for the United States, low voter turnout has been and always will be a threat to American Democracy. The concept of democracy is dependent on citizens actively participating in elections and voting to select representatives for public office. The government cannot be representative of the people, unless the people elect its representatives. Voter turnout is a major indicator of how citizens view their electoral system, and whether or not they believe that the system is working. There are numerous factors that impede voter turnout, including: citizens ' political attitudes, demographic factors, and the structure of the electoral system.

The established registration process is one of the main causes of low voter turnout in the United States. Unlike many democracies, "the United States places the burden of registration on the individual" (Vanishing Voter, 7). There are no penalties for citizens that do not register or vote in American elections. Some propose that
A universal system of voter registration would make it much more simple for people to vote. The problem with this solution is that automatically registering people to vote does not imply that they will actually go out and vote. Six states have enacted a good solution, same day registration, which has been proven to increase voter turnout anywhere from 10 to 17 percent (Donovan, 182). Same day voter registration allows qualified citizens to register to vote on the day that elections are held. Because many states do not allow same day registration, many Americans do not take the time and effort to register in the first place; same day registration helps to solve this problem. The registration process and electoral system also creates a problem of