Why don't people vote?

Idiots!! "Idiotes" (Greek)

Specific reasons why people don’t vote ??

Non-Voters :

• #1 Folks HAPPY with Government

• #2 Folks NOT HAPPY with Government

Ballot Fatigue!

90,000+ Elected Officials in the United States!

Ballot Fatigue….

IMO……Leads to Undervotes

Time Zone FalloutTime Zone Fallout

"Cannot Voters"

•Mental Health Issues • Religious Beliefs•Locked Up Felons•Resident Aliens

This is kinda off topic but……

In a TWO person election, (remember, two party system)

how many choices do you have in that race???

Why not just make voting mandatory?

Next Topic:Why do we believe the way we do?

What influences our actions in regards to participation in the democratic process?

Political socialization is a concept concerning the “study of the developmental processes by which children and adolescents acquire political cognition, attitudes and behaviors”

For example: Parents don’t vote:

KIDS won’t vote;

Parents are die-hard Republicans: KIDS become die-hard Republicans, etc…

Political Socialization

•Guess the top 8 specific reasons we believe what we do when it comes to

politics….

Top 8 Answers

• #8 Geography• #7 Age• #6 Gender• #5 Race• #4 Religion• #3 Media• #2 School (peers and teachers)• #1 Family – Parents/Guardians

What single factor contributes most to those who WILL and DO vote?

Education Level

Political Efficacy Indicates our faith and trust in

government and

our own belief that we can understand and influence

government

Political Efficacy

• Internal: one can understand the system and participates• “Positive vs. Negative”

• External: one can make a difference and participates

6 Classifications of Participation

• Inactives: Participate little if at all • Parochial participants: Neither vote nor

engage in community activity, but they do contact officials about specific, personal problems.

• Communalists: Engage in community activities of a nonpartisan nature.

6 Classifications of Participation

• Voting Specialists: Regularly vote but do little else. • Campaigners: Vote and also

participate in political activities like campaigns. • Complete Activists: Participate in all

forms of political activity

Some Voter Turnout Numbers…

2008 Presidential Numbers

• 215 Million Eligible Voters• 131 million voters (most ever)

• 61.4% turnout

• 55% Average (since ’68)• 60.9% old record ‘68

2010 Mid-Term Ohio Numbers

• Just over 8 Million Eligible Voters• 3.8 million voted • 47.9% turnout

2010 Greene Co. Numbers

• Just over 116,000 Eligible Voters• 59,500 voted • 51% turnout

• (highest 63%; lowest 33%)