TURNOUT: Two modest proposals

To help address the lack of voter participation in the primary elections, I would like to propose a couple of plans.

Plan A: This plan is to create a competition among the states that the state with the highest percentage of registered voters, voting would get the first primary election in their state, like Iowa does now. The states could line up in order of voter participation, the last being the last to hold a primary election. This would hold up until the next presidential election four years later.

The hope would be that some would try to be first, and every state would try not to be last, increasing the prospect of better turnouts in the presidential elections. Thus, making our democracy a more vibrant and healthy system.

Plan B: This plan would try to bring the states wanting to be better at getting registered voters to vote in their state’s presidential elections by creating a list of how the states voted in the last presidential primary election. Would your state really want to be at the bottom of that list?

CHARLES STRAUSS

Tucson