30-Second Summary: 5 Myths About Turning Out The Vote
Michael McDonald of the Post does a pretty good job of debunking some voting myths:
- Thanks to increasing voter apathy, turnout keeps dwindling.
Fact is, the number of people NOT ELIGIBLE to vote (non-citizens and convicted felons) is rising. Take them out of the model and turnout is steady. - Other countries' higher turnout indicates more vibrant democracies.
It's hard to make a comparison when some countries make voting manadatory and/or have fewer elections. - Negative ads turn off voters and reduce turnout.
You could just as easily say the opposite: the most famous negative campaign in recent history (the 2004 "Swiftboating" of John Kerry) coincided with one of the highest turnouts. - The Republican "72-hour campaign" will win the election.
Evidence shows that might be true when voters are not already motivated by hot-button issues. But during an election dominated by, say, dissatisfaction with the war, GOTV operations might have a smaller net impact. - Making voter registration easier would dramatically increase turnout.
Fact is, "motor-voter" laws increase registration -- but not necessarily turnout.
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