Why
does voter apathy exist?
What if there were an election and nobody
came? Right now California is headed in
that direction, judging from voting statistics.
More than 21 million potential voters are
in this state, but in March only slightly
more than 5 million were motivated enough
to cast a ballot. That’s fewer than 25 percent,
an all-time low.
At this rate it’s a good bet that November’s
general election participation rate will
be below 40 percent. That would set an apathy
record too. Most commentators seem to think
that low voter turnout is a bad thing and
that it is an indictment of those who could
register but choose not to, and those who
could vote but do not.
In this particular election cycle, commentators
also point fingers at the uninspiring personas
of the major party candidates for governor
and their excessive use of negative campaigning.
But also consider the evidence that the
California election system is badly out
of order. First, our state’s districts have
more people than districts elsewhere. State
Assembly members represent more than 400,000
constituents. State Senate districts are
twice that size.
So, the typical voter is simply a target
for mail, and not somebody who knows or
is known by those who are running. In statewide
races, the candidates are television personalities
(or non-personalities in the case of Simon
and Davis). Virtual campaigns make it hard
to form a personal connection to the candidates.
Point in case: This fall, Davis is spending
a record $3 million a week on television
ads in an election likely to have a record
low turnout.
Then there’s gerrymandering. Thanks to a
conspiracy of Republican and Democratic
party insiders, most legislative districts
this time around are “safe” for a particular
party or individual. Only about nine of
153 seats are even slightly competitive,
and just one of these is a congressional
seat.
Long Beach is in a “no contest” zone. Because
of gerrymandering, the key election was
the March primary. You missed it? Too bad!
No matter how you vote this November, the
guys and gals in the back room have already
largely decided the election. So why bother
casting a ballot? Well, some very important
ballot measures await your attention.
Please keep paying attention: The 2004 primary
will be here sooner than you think.
—
Paul C. Schmidt,
department of political science
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