We could be looking at voter turnout wrong
The quest started out as most modern searches do: Going to Google.
“Ways to get young people to vote” was entered in the search box.
More than 94 million options popped up, and after reading through far less than one-millionth of them, several conclusions were reached. At the top of that list? There are no easy answers, which probably explains why so few young people vote.
- They’re frustrated with the current system.
- They’re unsure about the registration process. (One suggestion worth considering: When you go to DMV at the age of 16, you’re automatically added to the registration rolls so that when you turn 18, you’re all set. That could work for anybody of any age: You’re automatically registered when you go to DMV.)
- Too little of what candidates and elected officials talk about or do directly impacts younger people. (There’s a lot of truth in that. Go to any town hall and most of the conversation is about programs for the elderly or social perspectives that don’t resonate with younger minds.)
Maybe you noticed the story last week about the breakdown of voter turnout in the May 15 primary. The Kootenai County Caboose rolled in at 22 percent on the actual day of the vote, last in the entire state. But more demoralizing was this tidbit unveiled by former Kootenai County Clerk Dan English: In the age group of 18- to 25-year-olds, a mere 3 percent of registered voters bothered to do so.
Keep in mind that 3 percent represents a fraction of the young adults who call Kootenai County home. Many don’t even bother registering. It’s possible, then, that only 1 or 2 out of all eligible 18- to 25-year-olds in Kootenai County cast a primary ballot last month.
In that Google search, an opinion piece by a young writer for The Guardian pegged it when she summarized older people’s view of younger people’s voter shortcomings:
“But it’s our fault, we are told. We do not vote. We are lazy, and selfish, too busy Snapchatting pictures of our genitals to strangers.”
When the laughter subsides, maybe the best path forward — or at least, the most practical path forward — is narrower but richer. Quality over quantity.
Yes, we should do everything possible to facilitate voter registration. Educators should put more emphasis on civic engagement and understanding. Parents should encourage healthy political discourse, with bonus points and extra dessert for well-articulated arguments that fly in the face of the family majority.
Maybe the mission of higher voter turnout — for broader participation — is fatally flawed. Maybe we should be focused more on how well-informed voters are, and less on how many ballots are dropped in a box.
There’s another possibility, of course.
These days, maybe Snapchat just matters more.