Blocking the Vote - the Real Causes of Low Voter Turnout
Submitted by NCVoter on Sat, 06/30/2007 - 2:12pm
What are the real causes of decreased voter turnout? Its not due to lack of convenience. If we don't examine the real causes we won't come up with a real solution...Some of the main causes are: decreased voter registration efforts by govt agencies, problems and errors within voter registration databases, and supressive photo id requirements in some states.
Some factors blocking the vote:
Photo Voter ID Laws Currently NC does not require photo id . Why civil rights attorneys oppose photo voter ID:
U.S. Election Assistance Commission Research Finds Polling-Place ID Laws Reduce Minority Voter Turnout
“The study confirms that voter ID requirements keep more minority than white voters away from the polls,” said Maxine Nelson, President of Project Vote, a national nonpartisan organization that supports voter registration and voter education programs “When you think about the many close races in the past two elections cycles, this documented disparity raises profound questions about the legitimacy of our democratic system.”
Decreased effort to register voters This was the case for North Carolina until this year. Registration efforts were on the decline until 2007.
Decline in enforcing Section 7 of National Voting Rights Act
Section 7 requires state public assistance agencies to offer voter registration opportunities to clients and applicants. This is not an insignificant issue. Registrations declined from 2.6 million in 1995-1996 to just over 1 million in 2003-2004. Field observations and discussions with both election officials and social service providers easily revealed that declining registrations were the result of noncompliance rather than, say, high registration rates among public assistance-eligible populations.
The No Match No Vote Policy - a law in some states, a policy in others, wrong in all. Currently NC has a "no match no vote" rule.
Policy Brief on Using Databases to Keep Eligible Voters Off the Rolls
In these states, if the government cannot find a “match” for information on the form, the applicant will not be registered and will not be able to cast a valid ballot.Database matching can be unreliable. Unfortunately, the matching process is often fraught with error. All large databases contain mistakes – typos or transposed fields, for example, that would prevent records from matching even when they represent the same person. Also, databases record information inconsistently, which makes it even more difficult to find proper matches: “William” may not match “Will” or “Billy”; a name may be spelled “Mohammed” or “Muhammad”; a maiden name may not match a married name.
Now we see that there are many factors contributing to low voter turnout. Same Day Registration may improve matters ensuring that eligible voters do get to cast a regular ballot.
We need to continue encourage voter registration througout the year, and also work to protect voters rights.
Very Informative
Registration is a huge focus for us in our county this year. Thanks for the report.
IS there any information on # of registered
voters compared to the actual # of voters that cast ballots?
I think the apathy has much to do with the fact that voters may have no other exposure to political discourse than negative ads on TV. If that's all they see, why would anyone bother to vote?
Progressives are the true conservatives.
I live in a rural county.
the demographics for my county is
Total population:
County: 10,000
Hertford: 2,000
Winfall: 500
Rough numbers
White 70.6%
Black 28.1%
all others neglagable
So my county has about 12,500 people living here.
Results of last election had less then 2500 voters cast votes.
7,842 over the age of 18.
From my understanding of sampling and other surveying criteria, getting over 1500 is considered a good representation.
we have 7800 people of which less then 2500 voted. This indicates a valid set of numbers to perform an analysis based on trends, correct?
Because I do not have the % registered or number of people registered in my county, I have to omit that.
With this, 32% of the age eligable voters casted a vote assuming 2500 voted.
32% is a terrible number.
This indicates to me that regardless of ease or dificulty of voting, 68% of my county will not vote. They just dont care or see the point. This same percentage could be exstrapolated to almost any large group of voters. Because of the numbers involved, it could also be said that 68% of the black population would not vote also. That is a higher % then indicated by the study sited above.
I cannot accept that because of a photo id requirement or any requirement to prove where you live that someone would not have voted.
If you truely wanted to vote, and thats only 32% of the population, you will find a way to vote. You will do what is required to vote.
Based on this arguement of photo id, it could also be speculated and probably proven correct that 10% of latinos, 5% of blacks would not vote because they do not have a ride to the polling place. Is it my counties problem to provide transportation for someone to vote? Dont think so. Aint gonna happen. Also, this photo id arguement currently is not applicable to NC because we do not require a photo id as stated above.
Voting is a right. Some say it is a privilage, others say it is a responsibility. It is your responsibility to make yourself available to vote, or not to vote as you see fit.
The rules for voting are not a secret. If a person is truely concerned about voting, that person will do what is needed to register and provide the documentation to vote. NC does not require photo id, so what is stopping someone from registering and then showing up at the polls? Lazyness? Apathy?
I cannot accept that 5% of my county's black population who wanted to vote where not allowed to because they could not prove they lived in this county.
I do not accept that anyone is turned away from voting based on the inability to prove where they live. There are to many ways for someone to prove they live in this county. Trying to do this on the day of an election could be to late. This person should know they have a special concideration and should be proactive in solving this problem, and not waiting till it is to late then crying about not being able to vote.
Even if someone does not have bills, a drivers license, etc. they have to beable to prove they exist on this planet and live in this county. There is a method to accomodate people who fall into this catagory. It might require this person to go to the board of elections in the county and find out what is needed and then perform that task. If you wish to vote, get registered. Prove you live in the polling area. That is not a difficult requirement. I will not accept that 109 voting eligible blacks in my county are so inpovished that they never ever for any reason leave the confines of their property or that my county will require someone who cannot leave their house to come register in person or lose their right to vote. (7800*28%*5%)
I dont care if your blind, deaf, infirmed, bedridden or a minority. you can prove you live in this state and can register. Every person over the age of 18 has the right to vote. All you have to do is register. How simple is that? You dont have to earn it. you dont need to pass a test. Nothing. Just show up breathing and show where you live and show your over 18.
Nowhere can anyone proof to me that minorities are being singled out and denied the right to vote or that minorities have diffrent requirements then whites. We all have to proof where we live, that we are alive and are over 18.
No match-no vote??
What is that? when I went to my polls in Novemeber, I showed up, told the person my name, I think I showed my ID? (cannot remember) she found my name in a book, I signed my name, and was shown to a voting booth to cast my votes. I do not remember having to do anything else. Did not have to show anyone proof I lived at my address. I might of said my address, but heck, the book was open on the table to my address. I could have read it from the book. Might be a rural thing?? BTW, this was the first time I have ever voted in NC or not voted military absentee (NY, 22 years)
However, I firmly belief in sameday registration/voting. Dont see a problem with that at all. I seriously doubt if any kind of check is done on someone who registers 2 months prior to an election. What are they gonna check? Are they going to go to the tax office and see if I live at the address I provided? Heck no. Cant imagine how it would be checked in Raliegh or any other metropolitian in the state. Same day registration cannot hurt anyone.
No, what hurts voter turn out is the preception that politicians are not out there for the people, but for their own power and self. To many politicans are for themselfs and their party first and the lowly people last. To many people preceive this to be true. Why go and vote when no matter who is elected, nothing is really going to change? A person running for office who can brake this preception will get voters to turn out.
Not all situations are the same.
Until this week, I would never have believed that a parents child would be held in the hospital until they could scrape up the money for a prescription, yet I saw this situation arise. I would never have believed that families would stay in New Orleans risking their lives and the lives of their children, just because they didn't have a "ride". Yet, we saw it happen for thousands. There are people who live in much different situations than you do, it would be a mistake to think that because you understand your own situation very well, that you understand the situation of others as well.
One man with courage makes a majority.
- Andrew Jackson
Jesus Swept ticked me off. Too short. I loved the characters and then POOF it was over.
-me
True True
I live in a huricane zone. I know what I am going to do, and the folks around me who cannot get around easly, I have formulated plans to assist them. That is the least I can do for my neighbors.
I cannot phathom how someone would have a child and not move them to a safer place knowing a cat 4 storm was headed directly at them and not have a plan to get them out of there. I did not intend my discussion to touch on that aspect of human life nor is what I discussed a parrellel to that. Katrinia was a disaster. Failure to register to vote because one cannot conviently proof where they live is not.
Each person has the responsibility to plan ahead and to think through scenarios based on where they live. To protect themselfs and their loved ones. To make appropriate decisions based on the situation presented.
As far as the doctor visit is concerned, all the parent had to do was pick the child up and walk out the hospital, what was stopping them? They could not pay, which means they should be on medicare and that would pickup the prescription bill correct as well as the hospital bill? I truely do not understand why a hospital would keep anyone on a bed. that one baffles me.
However, in the case of voting, it is extremely difficult for me to accept that solely because someone could not prove where they lived, that they would not vote. That this is the ONLY reason why they would have stayed away from the polls. That for the entire year, they knew they wanted to vote, but could not figure out how to register and get past this requirement to show residency. That this is only a minority issue. That whites do not have this problem. That is what that study is implying.
Again, I say that if someone truely wants to vote, they will vote. They will do what is required to get to their polling place and pull the levers. 68% of the people dont really want to vote and will look for any excuse that is convient.
This is very true
as my son would say - Word.
Parmea
I appreciate your honesty.
I was this past election day to be driving a candidate for county commissioner around the county to visit polling places. We encountered one man (white) who was determined to vote. He shared the exact same name as his father. The BOE had only one of them on the record, even though both of them had registered. It took calls from a local Dem. precinct volunteer, the Party chair, and another Dem who was finally able to get through to the Director of the BOE to get permission for this man to be able to cast a provisional ballot.
My point is that if we hadn't run into him in the parking lot, he would have just given up and gone home. He knew the candidate and was specifically going to vote for her.
It makes me wonder if how many voters run into that situation and don't ask for help, but just go home. I wouldn't want to guess what the percentage is.
Cases like this
are why a BOE representive must be at every polling place. To fix problems as they arrise. To listen and watch for problems. To see frustration and to step in, be proactive and provide assistance. It is amazing how easy it is to see a problem and fix it before it gets way out of hand. To just sit outside and listen to the voters coming and going from the polling place. You would be amazed what you will learn about your orginazation just by standing outside and listening.
BOE representitive should be empowered to do exactly what you did and what you accomplished. It should not have required a candate, and all them folks for the polling place to get ahold of the head of the BOE.
I would rather someone vote provisional in any circumstance then turn em away. If it is found that the person should not have voted, then remove that provisional ballet from the total numbers. Easy enough. If it is shown the person was at the right place to vote, then his provisional ballet becomes a regular vote and counted like everyone elses. Default to that, vice defaulting to a NO.
Excellent that you where able to help this person as well as give the BOE a lesson learned on how to deal with challanges on election day. I hope you or the county commissioner(s) go to the BOE and ask why he was unavailable to the polling place and what is he going to do about this problem in the future so this does not happen again?
The BOE should be block removers and not block creators.
I worked a job where I was at the top of the heap. I was empowered to make decisions based on the situation at hand. It was extremely gratifying to help people to achieve their goals then to tell em no.
I had a 90% waiver approval rating and utilized my power on 3 diffrent occassions to help someone get into the Navy that because of the instruction, they should have been turned away or denied what they where asking. I saw what the situation was, what the instruction said, what the policies where, and then used my power to provide a service to a new recruit that benifited them as well as my organization. I hope all the heads of BOE's work like this and find legal ways to remove obsticales to voter problems. that is why these folks are the Head of the County BOE.
I would be scared to guess a % who gave up in frustration also. I also wonder how many who did leave did not go to the BOE and resolve the problem so the next election they could vote. That is even scarier.
Poll observers do this...
The BOE could never cover all the polling places but anyone affiliated with a party can sign up to be a poll worker to watch for problems like that. Poll observers have no real power except to alert the judge at the precinct about the situation. Unfortunately very few people sign up for this job.
I've worked at a polling places as an observer and every weird situation that can come up, does. It makes the most sense to streamline the process and I think SDR will be very helpful.
Remember, it's only being used in early voting. You still can't show up on Election Day and expect to register.
Progressives are the true conservatives.
the poll judge was the one who said no.
and a boe employee we called said no. It wasn't until we could reach the boe director that the man was allowed to cast a provisional ballot. It took 3 phone calls; it shouldn't have taken any. The judge at the precinct should have allowed that, right then.
A basic fundemental problem
The polls are defaulted to say NO and are not set up to help. This is more of a problem then wondering is the public assistance offices asking their customers if they wish to register. One is happening on election day to someone who has actually gone to their voting place and needs immediate action to correct a potential problem, the other hasmore opportunities to correct.
The polling places must be defaulted to say YES except where it is a given that the person should not be voting here.
I really dont mind waiting a week to get the results if after that week all "hanging chad" problems have been resolved. If it takes that long to resolve the provisional ballet concerns, then take that week. All concerned will benifit. What I dont want to hear is 3, 4, 8 years later people still talking about how messed up an election was this year.
From what Icloud mentions, we will still have problems 8 years from now and will still be talking bad about this years elections.
Anytime someone says NO, they should either beable to show in writing that the no is truely the last word in NOism, or that person better beable to push the NO up the chain. NO should really mean maybe, until you get to the head of the BOE. Then a NO means no.
public assistance offices and registering to vote
This survey was performed outside Raleigh and Greensboro offices. Only 94 people came out of the offices and discussed with these surveyors this information?
Did these surveyors go inside and look at the walls etc, to determine if it was identified that this is a place where one could register?
Our public assistance offices have enough to worry about and to work on then to ask folks "are you registered to vote? I don’t care why you are standing in front of me today, the very first question I must ask you is are you registered to vote and do you wish to vote. Please, oooo please accept this registration form, I cannot talk to you until you fill out this diclination form." What is sad is the declination form that I guess should be handed to everyone who comes into the office was not being performed at these offices. Guess our public assistance office personnel are not there to help but to oppress according to this report. And by reading this report, our public assistance personnel do not care, or did not care about doing a good job.
The amount of time, at what I assume would be a busy office, would indicate that more people should have been questioned for this survey then just 95. I personally fell this survey is flawed due to the low number of recipients participating over the time provided. This also shows me that either people where profiled when asked or if they gave the wrong answers they were not tracked. Out of two sites for this amount of time only 94 people were surveyed? Either these public service centers are grossly underutilized or someone was not asking all the people that walked out a question. How many people were asked but declined to respond?
In these offices regarding asking people to register:
How many times have these folks been asked this question and have told the workers no? How many times will a worker ask these questions before they realize the customer does not wish to register and will give up on asking the question? How insulted do you think someone is when every time they go into one of these offices, the first thing asked is are you here to register? Not how can we help you? How stupid do you think the workers feel when that is the primary concern of their supervisor is to get the number of customers registered to vote vice helping the customer?
This statement appears to be extremely inflammatory toward the overall registration process.
When you look at the total number of times a potential new voter has the opportunity to register opts not to, how can we say the system has failed them? The availability to register for low-income individuals is staggering. These folks are adults capable of making decisions. It appears to me they have made a decision not to register or they have bigger problems on their minds then worry what politician to vote for in the next series of elections.
Only if there are no signs, pamphlets or any other mechanism posted in that office as well as none of the literature sent to the low income people by these offices has never mentioned the fact that registration is available to them can it be concluded that maybe there is a problem with our public assistance offices with regard to registration. If the form letters do not explain this service might we want to correct that simple oversite? I mean, one paragraph on the document. A footnote on the bottom of the page.
The worst statement in this paragraph is the statement where the public assistance people FAILED by not getting one person to register. Should we fire these workers? Dock their pay? Reduce the number of hours they work because they failed to get one unregistered voter to register? If this is such a high crime, why not advocate closing down these lazy do nothing public assistance offices as they are not providing the services we are paying them to perform. OOO wait, that is the stupidest thing I may have said, but it falls way short of the implied statements from this report that these public assistance workers are not supporting their customers.
However, with all that said. folks have been registering because of this study.
What I truly do not like is how this was accomplished. It implies that the workers at these site across our state where not doing their job or where purposely not making available the opportunity for these folks to register.
Where any of these people DENIED the opportunity to register?
If these people knew they were not registered did they go into that building with the purpose of registering or where they there for the primary service provided? Did these people see the signs stating this was a place to register? Was this the only time this entire year that this person was out and about and because the worker(s) at the window failed to perform their duties and beg these folks to register, these people could not vote this year?
It is not the responsibility of the government to plead with people to register to vote. It is the responsibility of the voter to register.
If a person wishes to vote, they will vote. Every person in this country knows they have this right. It is inconceivable that anyone today does not know they can vote.
So whose ultimate problem was it for this person walking out of that office not registered. Was it the problem of the worker(s) or the person who was not registered to ask?
Of those 79 folks, how many of them turned around and went right back into that office and got registered?
Offices required to ask these questions:
Would seem to me that a person at one of these offices just might have other concerns on their minds then voting or getting registered.