One more datapoint about citizen apathy concerning government

[Platapus]

Tuesday was election day in Virginia. It was a single party primary for the candidates for Lieutenant Governor and Attorney General. Neither position is high on the citizen's radar. Voter turnout was not expected to be high. I was only issued ballots for 10% of my precinct's registered voter population.

In my precinct, we had 32 people vote out of almost 3000 registered voters. Our actual turnout was 1.27%.

32 people.

To me this one more data point that indicates that while Americans like to bitch and whine about their government, deep down, they really don't care.

And it probably does not matter to many citizens. No matter who is in power, which party is in power, they will bitch and whine. It has become a national past-time in America.

Polls were open for 13 hours and only 32 people gave a crap enough to vote.

Yeah, I am pretty depressed about this. And a little angry.

1 percent voter turnout. In my years as an election official, I have never heard, no less experienced, such a low turnout.

People just don't care. They just don't.

[Sailor Steve]

It does bring up questions, such as how many people knew about it? How do people react when they see it in the paper? "Lieutenant Governeror? Attorney General? Are they even important?" Maybe people don't care about those positions. Maybe people don't believe there is difference enough to care. Sometimes on a ballot I'll see "Should Judge Thomas be retained in his position?" I don't know who he is, which means I haven't heard anything bad about him, which means he hasn't done anything that anyone has raised a stink about, so I'll vote "Yes". Sometimes I think about voting "No" as a joke, but I don't joke when someone's actual life is on the line.

When people have said "If you don't vote, you can't complain" I'll come back with "If there's no box marked 'None of the above' I sure can!" In big elections I get annoyed when none of the major candidates are anything like myself, so I'll find a minor candidate who is closer to my own thinking. Then people say I wasted my vote, or hurt their candidate.

I'm thinking most people don't care because while complaining is nice what goes on in government is so far outside their own experience that it's not really real to them. On the other hand if someone complains loudly enough I tend to ask what they've done to change it. I don't care enough to run for office myself, but I do care enough to vote. Most of the time.

[Spiced_Rum]

Not sure how the what level of importance is concerning a single party primary is. Does this mean that only one party, i.e. Democrats, have all the candidates which anyone can choose to vote for? And is Lt Governor a key role, like VP? In contrast voting for a Congress or Senate position would effect state/national politics and so be worth bothering about. But I know what you mean about apathy. If you do not use your right to vote then you really cannot complain about which party wins.

[Sailor Steve]

Originally Posted by Spiced_Rum

Not sure how the what level of importance is concerning a single party primary is.

That's a good point. I belong to no party, so I don't vote in primaries. It used to be that there were no primary elections. The party organization put up the candidates and if you wanted to be part of that you got into the party organization.

[Platapus]

Originally Posted by Sailor Steve

"If there's no box marked 'None of the above' I sure can!"

There is. Submit your ballot with no candidate selected. It is called casting a null ballot and the number of null ballots is recorded and is available to the political parties (and everyone). Casting a null ballot is a good way to send a strong message to the parties.

A person who casts a null ballot is a person who cares enough to vote, but chooses not to vote for any of the candidates. The political parties get these numbers and it is these voters that the parties want to win. A person who casts a null ballot will probably vote again in the next election. An election where they get 10% null ballots is sending a strong message to the parties.

A person who does not vote at all is sending the message that they probably won't vote in the next election either so the political parties write those non-voter off and ignore them.

Because our elections are decided by a plurality and not a majority, non-voters don't affect the election.

A null ballot is a powerful tool for the citizen to communicate dissatisfaction with the current candidates. I do wish more citizens would use this tool.

A null vote says that you care, but are not happy
A non vote says that you don't care.

[Platapus]

Originally Posted by Sailor Steve

That's a good point. I belong to no party, so I don't vote in primaries.

Whether a primary is open or closed varies between the states. Virginia is an open primary state. Since voter registration in Virginia is party independent, any registered voter can vote in any primary in their precinct.

Other states have closed primaries which are restricted to those who registered and identified with a specific political party.

[Platapus]

Originally Posted by Spiced_Rum

And is Lt Governor a key role, like VP?

This reminds me of a favourite story about Calvin Coolidge when he was Lieutenant Governor of Massachusetts. After being re-elected in 1916?, Coolidge, who had a well earned reputation of having a very dry sense of humour, was attending a political dinner.

When he was introduced to some high-society lady, he said "Hello, I'm Calvin Coolidge, the Lieutenant Governor"

The socialite responded "oh, how interesting, you must tell me all about it.

Coolidge responded, "I just did."

[Cybermat47]

32 people?

That's really, really disturbing. Perhaps voting should be mandatory like in Australia.

Or at least lure people in with a Church barbecue

[August]

We had a guy run for Lt. Gov in Rhode Island a few years back on the platform that if elected he'd abolish the office Lt. Gov.

[Platapus]

Originally Posted by Cybermat47

32 people?

That's really, really disturbing. Perhaps voting should be mandatory like in Australia.

Or at least lure people in with a Church barbecue

We had cookies!

[Wolferz]

A primary isn't an election of a public servant. It's the choosing of a party candidate to run for that office.
Which party was it? The answer will probably determine the reason for the apathetic turnout.

I consider primaries to be a total waste of time and something that the parties could find another method of deciding. Like at their conventions. But, they only put on that dog and pony show for major elections. It would save much time and money, in the case of two minor offices, if the state legislature took care of it until the next election cycle. Then the candidates can tell their lies, get elected and make good on those lies by doing nothing but collecting a pay check as usual.

[Sailor Steve]

Originally Posted by Platapus

There is. Submit your ballot with no candidate selected. It is called casting a null ballot and the number of null ballots is recorded and is available to the political parties (and everyone). Casting a null ballot is a good way to send a strong message to the parties.

Seriously? Forty-one years in the voting booths and I never knew that.

@ Calvin Coolidge: Go Silent Cal!

[Red October1984]

Originally Posted by Cybermat47

32 people?

That's really, really disturbing. Perhaps voting should be mandatory like in Australia.

You should only vote if you're properly informed. I agree it's a terrible statistic...something needs to be done...

Maybe have an unbiased media? Idk...

[TorpX]

Originally Posted by Platapus

Tuesday was election day in Virginia. It was a single party primary for the candidates for Lieutenant Governor and Attorney General. Neither position is high on the citizen's radar. Voter turnout was not expected to be high. I was only issued ballots for 10% of my precinct's registered voter population.

In my precinct, we had 32 people vote out of almost 3000 registered voters. Our actual turnout was 1.27%.

32 people.

I have to ask is this precinct a rural, or urban one?

In Illinois, local off-year election bring few voters out. Most people, myself included, know little about the judges, county board members, village mayors, etc.

When the established political powers really want something, they can schedule referendums at these times, or simply implement the policies they want before the public can do anything about it. To many people, elections have become rather pointless.

[the_tyrant]

I have never even been to court, so I don't even know who my local judge is. Of course I don't vote in those elections!

I'm pretty sure lots of people think like me on these issues.