What are 3 ways to improve voter turnout and why?

Answer 1

There are many different ways to increase voter turnout that are backed up by data.

1. Make it easier to register to vote

Automatic Voter Registration: automatically registering eligible voters whenever they interact with certain government agencies could increase the number of registered voters by the millions.

Same day voter Registration: each state has their own deadline to register. Allowing people to register to vote on election day means that no one misses deadlines and is therefore unable to exercise this right.

Online voter registration: allowing people to register online reduces both monetary and time costs associated with the voter registration process. It's easier andnfaster to figure out how to register, and doesn't require taking the time to visit a county clerk office or a post office.

2. Expand voting hours

Early voting: allowing individuals to vote days before an election means that people may not be forced to miss work or find childcare on an election day in order to vote.

3. Expand polling locations

Many governments (not just in the US though this is also a problem here) reduce the number of polling locations in districts or areas where they wish to reduce the turnout. If someone has to travel a far distance or wait in very long lines, this increases the financial and time costs of voting. Some people may be unable to take off work for the amount of time it would take to travel across a city by bus and then wait for hours to vote.

Absentee voting (without excuses): some states, including New York, only allow individuals facing specific situations to vote by mail. Allowing anyone who wishes to vote by mail to do so would reduce many obstacles to voting for folks who are elderly, disabled, or otherwise would have a hard time voting in person.

Answer 2

I would also suggest changing election day to the weekend or offering 2 consecutive election days (i.e. Sunday and Monday).

Election day on a Tuesday means that many people, mostly those who have 9-to-5 jobs, must leave their job to go vote or potentially wait in long lines to vote after business hours. Many people earning hourly wages simply cannot afford to miss hours and going during a lunch break may not be long enough. For this reason, having an election day on the weekend eliminates having to decide between working or voting.

With this in mind, we must also remember that many people have religious commitments or traditions on Friday, Saturday or Sunday. As a country founded on religious freedom, it is important that these religion schedules also be respected. For this reason, having an election day on a weekday eliminates having to decide between practicing religion or voting.