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| | At the top of the party structure is a national committee. For the Republicans, it is the Republican National Committee, which raises enormous sums of money and otherwise sets direction for the party. | | At the top of the party structure is a national committee. For the Republicans, it is the Republican National Committee, which raises enormous sums of money and otherwise sets direction for the party. |
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| − | == Voting ==
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| − | Most [[citizen]]s 18 and over can vote in [[United States of America|America]]. Some states prohibit persons convicted of felonies from voting (do you agree with that rule)?
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| − | Millions, however, do not bother to vote. In [[presidential election]]s every four [[year]]s, only about half of [[United States of America|Americans]] vote. In non-[[president]]ial [[election]]s, the [[percent]] who [[vote]] is usually smaller. Next week, [[November]] 6th, is election day in [[New Jersey]], but relatively few will take the time to [[vote]].
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| − | [[School board]] [[election]]s typically have very low “[[turnout]]”, which refers to the percentage of eligible [[vote]]rs who actually vote. Often these elections are decided by a few hundred votes, or less.
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| − | It is easy to find [[friend]]s or [[relative]]s who do not vote, and you can ask them why. It can be laziness, or a feeling that their [[vote]]s do not matter. [[Election]]s are rarely decided by one [[vote]] (though sometimes they are, to the chagrin of those who did not [[vote]]). It takes time and effort to [[vote]], and some feel they do not receive anything in return. A popular sentiment, particularly among the young, is that it does not matter which side is elected. But often it does matter a great deal.
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| − | It is necessary to register to [[vote]] before actually voting, and that can be an annoying obstacle. A large percentage of [[United States of America|Americans]] move each year, and they can only [[vote]] if they register at their new address. [[State]] [[law]]s typically prohibit registration close to [[Election Day]]. Rather, a citizen may have to register 30 [[day]]s or more prior to an [[election]] in order to be eligible to vote. Some states use [[voter registration]] as the basis for ordering people to serve on juries, and some avoid voting in order to escape [[jury duty]]. But that excuse does not work in most places, as [[drivers license]] registration is now typically used.
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| − | [[Voter registration]] in most states consists of providing your name and address and listing yourself as a “[[Republican Party|Republican]]”, “[[Democratic Party|Democrat]]”, “Independent” or a third party. This is typically public information, available to anyone who wants to look you up. In some states, like [[Virginia]], voters do not register with a party affiliation that is available to the [[public]]. When conservative Justice [[Clarence Thomas]], who lives in [[Virginia]], was appointed to the Supreme Court, no one could find out his party affiliation. Do you think this should be public information?
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| − | Those who have busy schedules or travel may find it inconvenient to go to a polling booth on [[Election Day]], possibly wait in line, simply to cast a [[ballot]] in a typical [[election]]. But being busy is not a good excuse either; there is rarely a waiting line to vote anymore. [[Absentee ballot]]s are available for those who will be out of town.
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| − | Why isn’t voting made more convenient? There are many good reasons why voting is not made easier:
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| − | 1. [[Voter fraud]] is an enormous problem, and always has been. There is very little checking of records, and some areas of the country (like [[Chicago]]) are notorious for having votes cast in the names of people who are dead. The easier it is to [[vote]], the more [[fraud]] there will be. In [[Oregon]], citizens can now simply mail in their vote without ever appearing at a polling place. This system was designed to increased turnout above 80% in 2000. How does anyone know who really filled out the ballot?
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| − | 2. Easier voting means more voting by uniformed people. If someone won’t take the trouble to go to a polling booth, then it’s unlikely they will bother to learn the issues either. What’s the point in encouraging uninformed citizens to vote? It’s difficult to see what value they add to the process.
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| − | 3. Easier voting procedures may not boost [[turnout]] over the long term. People alienated by the [[Politics|political]] system will not vote regardless of how easy it is. Certain religious groups, like [[Jehovah’s Witnesses]], do not believe in participating in the [[Politics|political]] process. That will not change.
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| − | The debacle in [[Florida]] in 2000, when a few hundred votes decided who would be president, woke up many [[United States of America|Americans]] to what can happen when they do not vote. By 2002, [[conservatives]] in Florida heard the message and reelected [[Jeb Bush]] in a surprisingly large [[landslide]]. The citizens turned out in droves to prevent a repeat of the prior election.
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| | == When are the Next Elections? == | | == When are the Next Elections? == |