Are these trusting Americans? People line up at an early voting location near Lincoln Center on Oct. 26, 2020, in New York.
(AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)
Democracy only works well when citizens participate in the democratic process and participate equally. But in the United States, lack of trust is eroding democracy's promise.
Military voters can register to vote using their permanent U.S. address or, in some states, their parents’ address.
Official Army Photo/Dustin Senger
About 2.9 million eligible American voters live abroad, including members of the military and embassy staffers. Just 5% of them cast their ballots in 2018.
A young voter heads to the polls on the first day of advance voting.
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With more votes cast before election day than on it, late strategic voting could make all the difference.
Virtual neighborhood meetings, like this Democratic effort in Reedsburg, Wis., are among the latest efforts to get people to vote.
AP Photo/Tom Beaumont
Strangers used to call and stop by; now the most effective way to get people to vote involves getting groups of friends and neighbors to pressure each other to participate in democracy.
A first-time voter at the 2012 US presidential election.
Larry W. Smith/EPA
'I don't like the candidates,' 'I don't know enough to make a decision,' 'I don't want to give this election legitimacy' – an ethicist takes on nonvoters.
Encouraging students at the University of Colorado, Boulder, to vote in the midterm elections, Nov. 6, 2018.
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Researchers examined the voting behavior of 5,762 students at 120 colleges and universities. Two groups stood out as an untapped electoral resource – if the candidates can turn out Gen Z.
Will young, Black Americans turn out to vote in November?
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By picking Kamala Harris, a Black running mate, Biden may have brought younger Black Americans, who now comprise a critical set of swing voters, over to his side.
Will young, Black Americans turn out to vote in November?
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It's a myth that Black voters represent monolithic support for Democrats. A recent survey shows that young Black Americans in swing states have big reservations about Joe Biden, Democrats and voting.
Joe and Jill Biden address the press the evening of the Idaho, Missouri, Michigan, Washington, Mississippi and North Dakota primaries.
AP Photo/Matt Rourke
Britain is once again going to the polls and encouraging people to vote may be as important as asking them to vote for a particular party.
Nurses in November 2016 expressed support for a ballot proposition to limit what California state agencies pay for prescription drugs.
AP/Nick Ut, file
Citizens voting directly on policy seems like a good idea. But that led to the Brexit mess in the UK. In the US, two scholars say direct democracy deepens distrust of politics and government.
Rather than encouraging people to become better citizens, rewards and fines can actually reduce peoples’ natural tendencies to do the right thing by others.
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The idea that a small payment could motivate more people to vote resurfaces regularly, but this ignores evidence that monetary incentives to induce pro-social behaviour can be counterproductive.
New Zealand’s 2018 census was the first to be carried out online, but it captured only 83% of people, a response rate 9% lower than the previous census. Māori responses dropped by 20%.
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Maria Bargh, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington and Arama Rata, University of Waikato
The failure of the 2018 census to get a good response rate highlights the need for multiple voting options to increase participation, particularly of Māori.
Occasional voters don’t respond well to guilt trips when organizations try to encourage them to cast ballots. Research suggests other methods are more successful.
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To a mathematician the idea of, "voter turnout" is not a very precise term. What exactly does it mean? And how is it calculated?
Canadians are still forced to travel to polling stations and line up to vote. Online voting would save time and money.
THE CANADIAN PRESS/Graham Hughes
About one-third of Canadians don't bother to vote in federal elections. Many people cite "everyday life issues," like the time it takes to vote, as reasons why they don't participate.
In this Oct. 31, 2018 photo, students dance atop a bus to music during a Vote for Our Lives rally at the University of Central Florida in Orlando, Fla.
(AP Photo/John Raoux)
Young people have the right, the skills and the numbers to make a difference in politics and society in North America and beyond. Their voices, energy and vision contribute to a healthy democracy.
The Voting Rights Act offers language assistance for voters with limited English proficiency. What can we learn from an Idaho county's experience offering foreign-language ballots?