Voter Turnout In The United States

Voter turnout in the US has been in decline for many years. It is the result of a wide variety of reasons, one of which is the disenchantment of the voter with the political system today. This seems odd, in that the only way to change the system is to get out and vote and replace the current politicians with new ones that will hopefully be able to conduct business and have a little less partisan politics. The voter turnout does tend to go up every four years when the presidential election occurs. This seems to interest voters to become more involved in the political process. This particular presidential election cycle has shown to be unique. The Trump factor as it has become known has dramatically increased voter registrations. Some

In the Bush verses Kerry election the participation was around 60 %, one of the highest rates in recent elections. It will be interesting to see the voter turnout this cycle with prospective matchup of Clinton vs Trump.

Socioeconomic factors such as education have shown to have an effect on voter turnout. The more education one has the more likely they are to be involved in the process and vote. Wealth also plays a role in turnout. The wealthy regardless of education have a higher rate of voting. The poor, uneducated and the youth have shown to have less voting rates.

The voting process itself has an effect on turnout. In the US voters must register to vote, this has been helped with the passage of the motor voter law or the National Voter registration Act of 1993 which allowed voters to register at state Motor Vehicle registration offices. This was passed in an effort to stop the decline in voter turnout. The requirement in many states for individuals to have an ID has in some areas caused a person to not vote. It has made voter fraud much harder. Another is the use of absentee ballots. This has allowed many citizens the opportunity to vote especially service men and women who are station overseas. The early voting in many states has also led to an increase in voter turnout, making it more convenient to vote and eliminate the waiting in lines on Election Day. At some point internet

In this current cycle, Trump has indicated he is self-funding his campaign in order to be free from owing anything to the lobbyists and political action groups. He has touted this throughout the primary season. He has indicated that he will have to take some money in order to be successful in the general election. Democrat Sanders has made a big deal out of the fact that his campaign has been funded by a movement. Individual donors have donated 27 dollars individually to his campaign and he too has not accepted money from Wall Street. Whatever the current stance of the candidates are, presidential elections cost money. In 1757 George Washington spent 195 dollars on food and drinks to win the Virginia House of Burgess. The practice of using money, food and gifts to influence elections have been outlawed in all states. Each state and the federal government have rules and laws covering campaign finance. The biggest rule is disclosure. All campaigns must disclose what funds are used for and who provided those funds. One of the most continuous issues concerning campaigns is the ability to limit the amounts that can be given to a campaign. The most famous case was Citizens United v Federal Elections Commission. The FEC tried to regulate and limit the amount of money a corporation, PAC’s, or unions used in election communications. Chief Justice Roberts on behalf of the majority struck down previous rulings that had sought to