One issue that bothers the American government and society is low voter turnout. Indeed, for some reason, many people refuse to take part in elections and the political process itself, while still expecting the U.S. to change for the better. There is an extended number of reasons why voter participation needs to be increased, including the fact that the election’s results directly affect Americans’ quality of life. There are many ways to increase voter turnout, and the three policies, namely, are probably the most effective ones.
To begin with, it is suggested to enact automatic voter registration (AVR) in all states, while now only twenty-two states and Washington, D.C., have either enacted or implemented AVR. This reform would reduce the number of mistakes in voter registration records and increase the turnout (Brennan Center for Justice, n.d.). Those eligible citizens who interact with government agencies will be registered to vote and have their information updated automatically.
Another useful reform is Early voting, which addresses a rather severe obstacle. Since many people work every day except for the weekends, they can only vote on Saturday or Sunday. However, most elections are held in the morning or afternoon on weekdays, which automatically excludes many people from the voting process (Brennan Center for Justice, n.d.). Such citizens should be allowed to vote in the evening or on weekends, and then turnout will increase.
Finally, the third reform to offer is same-day voter registration. This reform will allow the voters to register and cast their ballots on the same day (Brennan Center for Justice, n.d.). This step will exclude some issues and obstacles like arbitrarily early registration deadlines. Finally, it is possible to say that Americans should hold State Government to these reforms because all three will make the voting process much easier and more convenient. People will not avoid taking part in elections, which will have a positive impact on citizen engagement. Therefore, America wants and needs higher voter participation.
Reference
Brennan Center for Justice. (n.d.). Voting reform. Web.