Do we want more voters?
Column originally published October 12, 2006
An Associated Press-Pew poll says voter interest is at the highest level in more than a decade. But will it translate into more voters next month? And do we really want more people voting? Or do we have as much democracy as we can stand right now?
Low voter turnout is often blamed on the campaigns themselves. And there's a lot not to like. Politicians seem to think we're all NASCAR watching, beer-for-breakfast swilling, hayseed chewing, cousin marrying, born yesterday yokels who will believe anything.
For example, John McCain, fresh after caving in to the administration on torture, blames the recent North Korean nuclear test on Bill Clinton. I guess we're supposed to forget Bush refusing to engage them, calling them out as part of the "axis of evil", attacking Iraq and showing Kim Jong Il and Iran's leader that the way to avoid a U.S. attack is to have a nuclear arsenal. Are the Republicans asking to be returned to power so Iran can test a nuclear device on their watch, too?
But I digress. The 30-second spots on television are turnoffs to be sure. I saw one recently that implied Jerry Brown (who has been endorsed by law enforcement up and down the state) would go easy on killers like Charles Manson and cop killers as attorney general. Charles Manson in a 2006 political ad, are you kidding me?
And the slick, glossy mailers clogging our mailboxes obfuscate. They don't illuminate. There's tons of money being spent on these mailers only to have potential voters throw them away and turn off to the process.
However, do we want more people showing up to the polls? Last month, a study released by the Public Policy Institute of California revealed startling insight into voters in California. The most alarming number was that just 15% of California adults decide the direction the state takes. Fifteen percent.
Only 56% of eligible Californians are registered to vote. And of them, only a third actually vote.
While whites make up 46% of Californians, they make up nearly three quarters of likely voters. Seventy seven percent of voters are also homeowners. The majority of California voters are age 45 and older. To put it in perspective, 66% of Californians are renters and 76% are under age 45.
Latinos make up most of those unregistered to vote. Of course, part of those numbers reflects the amount of illegals in the state who can't vote but it doesn't account for all of it.
Another surprise was that nonvoters hold different views than voters. Nonvoters are more likely to support higher taxes and more services. Those who actually vote are a more conservative lot than those who don't.
So if we had greater participation in the form of people registering to vote and turning out for elections, it would stand conventional wisdom on its head.
The people who vote in California are those who feel as though they have something at stake or something to lose so they will vote their interest. Ironically, those who could benefit most from voting don't feel that they're a part of the system. For now, the deciding voters are mostly older, white, and upper middle class homeowners.
What will California be like when the majority of voters are Latino, poor to lower middle class, and renters? Will we see "white flight" out of the state? It's an unsettling question, isn't it?
Voters don't reflect state's demographics
By Kelvin Wade
An Associated Press-Pew poll says voter interest is at the highest level in more than a decade. But will it translate into more voters next month? And do we really want more people voting? Or do we have as much democracy as we can stand right now?
Low voter turnout is often blamed on the campaigns themselves. And there's a lot not to like. Politicians seem to think we're all NASCAR watching, beer-for-breakfast swilling, hayseed chewing, cousin marrying, born yesterday yokels who will believe anything.
For example, John McCain, fresh after caving in to the administration on torture, blames the recent North Korean nuclear test on Bill Clinton. I guess we're supposed to forget Bush refusing to engage them, calling them out as part of the "axis of evil", attacking Iraq and showing Kim Jong Il and Iran's leader that the way to avoid a U.S. attack is to have a nuclear arsenal. Are the Republicans asking to be returned to power so Iran can test a nuclear device on their watch, too?
But I digress. The 30-second spots on television are turnoffs to be sure. I saw one recently that implied Jerry Brown (who has been endorsed by law enforcement up and down the state) would go easy on killers like Charles Manson and cop killers as attorney general. Charles Manson in a 2006 political ad, are you kidding me?
And the slick, glossy mailers clogging our mailboxes obfuscate. They don't illuminate. There's tons of money being spent on these mailers only to have potential voters throw them away and turn off to the process.
However, do we want more people showing up to the polls? Last month, a study released by the Public Policy Institute of California revealed startling insight into voters in California. The most alarming number was that just 15% of California adults decide the direction the state takes. Fifteen percent.
Only 56% of eligible Californians are registered to vote. And of them, only a third actually vote.
While whites make up 46% of Californians, they make up nearly three quarters of likely voters. Seventy seven percent of voters are also homeowners. The majority of California voters are age 45 and older. To put it in perspective, 66% of Californians are renters and 76% are under age 45.
Latinos make up most of those unregistered to vote. Of course, part of those numbers reflects the amount of illegals in the state who can't vote but it doesn't account for all of it.
Another surprise was that nonvoters hold different views than voters. Nonvoters are more likely to support higher taxes and more services. Those who actually vote are a more conservative lot than those who don't.
So if we had greater participation in the form of people registering to vote and turning out for elections, it would stand conventional wisdom on its head.
The people who vote in California are those who feel as though they have something at stake or something to lose so they will vote their interest. Ironically, those who could benefit most from voting don't feel that they're a part of the system. For now, the deciding voters are mostly older, white, and upper middle class homeowners.
What will California be like when the majority of voters are Latino, poor to lower middle class, and renters? Will we see "white flight" out of the state? It's an unsettling question, isn't it?
Comments