Pew: Why Are Millions of Citizens Not Registered to Vote?

[Virginiá]

A survey of the civically unengaged finds they lack interest, but outreach opportunities exist

http://www.pewtrusts.org/en/research-and-analysis/issue-briefs/2017/06/why-are-millions-of-citizens-not-registered-to-vote

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I do think this shows that despite a lot of disinterest among non-registered citizens, solutions like same-day voter registration and automatic voter registration combined with some type of all-mail voting system could increase turnout notably by removing the registration barrier for those who find themselves too busy or simply forget / don't know how. The addition of delivering a mail-in ballot to them automatically like Oregon/Colorado would also make a significant difference.

Anyway, this was a decent article, and my selections above only covered some highlights, so I would recommend giving it a read.

[Technocracy Timmy]

Anecdotal but I was never asked to register to vote at my local DMV or from anyone else in life. I even come from a very political family and willingly chose to register to vote when I got my drivers license at 18.

[Virginiá]

Anecdotal but I was never asked to register to vote at my local DMV or from anyone else in life. I even come from a very political family and willingly chose to register to vote when I got my drivers license at 18.

Are they supposed to ask? I know they have to give you the opportunity at DMVs due to federal law, but I'm not sure if they are required to actually ask you. I know I was never asked here in Florida. It's also not that uncommon for state motor vehicle agencies to have been sued to force compliance with these laws - Nevada, Connecticut and Texas were in the past couple years and had to change up their procedures. Georgia's recent adoption of automatic voter registration was due to a lawsuit about non-compliance as well, irrc.

FWIW, California voter laws now are very liberal. Same-day + auto reg, pre-registration for 16 & 17 year olds and ample registration opportunities for students. I don't really think there is anything more they can do, short of doing away with voter registration altogether a la North Dakota.

[Technocracy Timmy]

My overall point is that political apathy is very real in this country. I can't think of a single instance where I felt encouraged let alone obligated to register to vote; not even from my hyper-political family. I don't think my experience is unique either. A lot of people simply don't care about politics or feel that the system is "rigged" and not worth participating in.

They feel it's either not worth it or that politics doesn't affect them.

[Virginiá]

My overall point is that political apathy is very real in this country. I can't think of a single instance where I felt encouraged let alone obligated to register to vote; not even from my hyper-political family. I don't think my experience is unique either. A lot of people simply don't care about politics or feel that the system is "rigged" and not worth participating in.

They feel it's either not worth it or that politics doesn't affect them.

This is where I gently suggest the idea of Aussie-style mandatory voting

[Sumner 1868]

The number of people who use the tired old "they feel the system is rigged"  argument are mostly wrong. The majority of them are simply so self-absorbed (and generally materialistic) they can't possibly grasp the idea of structures existing outside themselves.

[Technocracy Timmy]

The number of people who use the tired old "they feel the system is rigged"  argument are mostly wrong. The majority of them are simply so self-absorbed (and generally materialistic) they can't possibly grasp the idea of structures existing outside themselves.

Look at the approval rating for congress or the President then contrast that with the approval rating of the military (72%), the police (57%), or small business (70%). Source.

Most Americans have the capacity to "grasp the idea of structures existing outside themselves".

[Sumner 1868]

The number of people who use the tired old "they feel the system is rigged"  argument are mostly wrong. The majority of them are simply so self-absorbed (and generally materialistic) they can't possibly grasp the idea of structures existing outside themselves.

Look at the approval rating for congress or the President then contrast that with the approval rating of the military (72%), the police (57%), or small business (70%). Source.

Most Americans have the capacity to "grasp the idea of structures existing outside themselves".

Unfortunately this poll simply indicates public responses to news media. Why else would people have an overwhelming approval of the military, which is droning and bombing people every day, unless in response to the media whitewashing? Either they don't really grasp it or the public's priorities are horrifyingly dark.

Also, looking at this list, I see just under a quarter of respondents had a positive view of banks in 2009. There's no way anyone could have held that view back then without being totally tuned out.

In any case I didn't say "most Americans" in my original post.

[FEMA Camp Administrator]

My overall point is that political apathy is very real in this country. I can't think of a single instance where I felt encouraged let alone obligated to register to vote; not even from my hyper-political family. I don't think my experience is unique either. A lot of people simply don't care about politics or feel that the system is "rigged" and not worth participating in.

They feel it's either not worth it or that politics doesn't affect them.

This is where I gently suggest the idea of Aussie-style mandatory voting

The problem is "social" in nature. Poverty, culture industry, and other mechanisms of disengagement aside, for many, "freedom" means "freedom not to". In other, less liberal societies, I believe this would be different.

[twenty42]

Speaking on behalf of presidential elections...

There are a whole lot of people in this country who believe, rightly or wrongly, that a binary choice between two out-of-touch rich people to "lead their country" is simply not worth their time because it won't make a difference in their lives.

I think voter turnout is an underrated statistic of elections. 1996 was a prime example. While Bill Clinton won a decisive victory among those who voted, the astoundingly low turnout signified a very apathetic electorate that didn't care much about the election either way.