Reader “concerned citizen” posted the following on another topic. I believe it’s an excellent start toward getting more voter turnout in our elections
1. We could have material pertaining to a matter printed and sent to every registered voter.
2. We could have a vote held at most twice a year but preferably held until the first Tuesday in November like most voting is done.
3. We let employers in Kootenai County know that it’s illegal to refuse time off for employees to go and vote. Fine those that use tactics of intimidation to keep employees from taking time to vote.
4. We could get the people for ANY of the parties (repub, dem, indep, green,etc.) to be more visible to the potential voters. eg; representatives actually represent by going out to the public that it in fact serves instead of lobby meetings on the golf coarse.
How is that for a start? any other suggestions?
Some good thoughts. I’ve been after a voter’s guide being required before each election for awhile. There seems to be little or no interest on the part of our legislature but we can keep hoping. Yes it would cost something, but the relatively small amount per registered voter compared to the total cost of government in each of these taxing districts that hold elections would be a small price to pay for a more informed electorate.
I don’t think two election dates a year is enough though. Our current four works pretty good but you may be able to cut it down to three. My fear would be that only two, let alone one, election dates for all the elections that get held in a given year would lead to multiple ballot pages and overcrowded conditions at the polls. There are almost 50 various taxing districts that need to hold regular elections for elected offices, bonds and levies, annexations, formation elections, recall elections, and I’m sure a few others I’m forgetting.
The problem with a very long ballot is that you may have an issue or candidate you are very concerned about one way or the other, but if the ballot is so long that people quit voting or were more likely to skip “the end” of the ballot then they may be skipping the very issue you are most hoping to get a good turnout for. Also you have to be concerned and very careful that people get the correct ballot at the polls as well. If you have multiple issues then some people in a given precinct will get a ballot with certain issues but not others because they don’t live in that district. Those issues can be handled but it does naturally create more chances for error.
Bottom line though, I certainly support efforts for better turnouts and like to see others engaged in this issue.
Comment by Dan English — July 12, 2008 @ 10:47 pm
Dan,
What about the intimidation by empolyers? This happens more than not in NI due to “right to work” and also makes for low voter turnout. Could this not manipulate votes one way or the other? Think about it. If all of the people that did not have to worry about losing their jobs went to vote (lets call them stakeholders), and those that live paycheck to paycheck could not take time to vote for fear of loosing thier job, would that not change things a bit?
How about the teachers? The teachers of this area are afraid to vote their conscience because of the intimidation pressed on them from above.
Comment by concerned citizen — July 13, 2008 @ 5:27 am
To Dan English, if sample ballots were easily available to voters well ahead of time, then a person could study the issue prior to voting. While living in Arizona the initiatives on the ballot were published in full in the newspapers. This way we were able to study the issue well ahead of time. As news and opinions flowed about, we were able to focus in on the actual wording of an initiative or levy.
Comment by Mama Bear — July 13, 2008 @ 6:42 am
Having lived in North Idaho my entire life,I can tell you there is absolutely,no excuse not to vote.
Idaho has same day voter registration on election day.People can go to the elections office on third st.and vote early if they want and on the saturday,right before the election.Voters can vote on their lunch break,if they have a problem with their employers.You can also, request a absentee ballot be sent to you,through the mail.
I’ve even voted at the elections office during the general election,a month in advance in October.So,any reason not to vote,isn’t a good enough reason IMO.Idaho is a voter friendly state.
Of course,having more literature to glean about the candidates and their views would be helpful but,again most people have the internet by now and most candidates have websites to look at,so you can make an informed decision.
Comment by kageman — July 13, 2008 @ 11:26 am
In my estimation the majority of voters are between the ages of 45 to 65.That would be especially,true for local elections as younger people don’t seem to be interested in local politics.I remember voting in a general election at 19 years old but,didn’t vote in a local election
until,I was well into my 40’s.
The question is:How do we attract young people under 45 to vote?That’s the big question.IMO-the political partys have not reached out to the young voters enough and gone to speak at their colleges etc.Maybe,
Idaho should make it a requirement to vote,or you can’t renew your drivers license? That’s one idea.
Comment by kageman — July 13, 2008 @ 11:47 am
Voter turnout in North Idaho is among the highest in the nation. Are we searching for a solution to a problem that isn’t that much of a problem?
Comment by Pariah — July 13, 2008 @ 1:59 pm
This subject is of special interest to me. More than two years ago, after I lost in the city council election, I realized that the voters in our area have no way of getting objective information about candidates. In my 12 years as General Manager for our small business that employs 13 full time and several part time people, I read hundreds of resumes and interviewed numberous job candidates. The personal image that people describe on their resumes is not usually the true picture; they fluff themselves up. Political ads and brochures are even worse. They just tell you what they want you to hear. For our business, I always required a job application to be filled out, complete with references. The application contained the questions I wanted to have answered, not necessarily what the applicant wanted to tell.
That’s what we voters need, a job application for every candidate. We can’t just let big money buy tons of biased advertisements to make their person look fabulous. We need to know the basics because we are “hiring” these people for a very important job: to represent our needs and spend our money!
Comment by mary — July 13, 2008 @ 3:12 pm
At that time, two years ago, I went to Dan English and worked with him on setting up a “job application” style Voter Information Guide. Dan wanted to send it out with the Vote By Mail ballots and we gathered a bi partisan committee together. When Vote By Mail failed, Dan dropped the idea of the Voter’s guide. Last summer, before the city council election, I contacted Dan English again. I wanted to get the Voter Guide going again. My hope was for a printed Guide that is sent out to every household that contains a registered voter.
Dan quickly brought the League of Women Voters into the process, and that’s where it stands right now. I’m not involved anymore because at the one meeting about the Voter’s Guide I attended, they told me that in order to stay on the committee, I would have to remove myself from any political party. I told them I was not willing to do that and asked if it could be a bi-partisan effort, like the one we had in 2005, but their answer was no. The women were all very nice, and all “former” Democrats. During the chit chat of the dinner meeting they all managed to speak negatively of our area’s Republican legislators, by name. I knew this would not work for me.
So, Dan English, there’s much to be done in the process of getting a fair, objective Voter’s Guide that can be mailed out to all registered voters. I think a balanced, bi partisan effort would be a good idea, and it’s great to read all the strong suggestions here for improving voter turnout.
Comment by mary — July 13, 2008 @ 3:34 pm
Voter turnout in North Idaho is among the highest in the nation. Are we searching for a solution to a problem that isn’t that much of a problem?
Comment by Pariah — July 13, 2008 @ 1:59
In the local election last fall,
there was a 24% turnout of registered
voters for the county.This past May,
there was a 22% turnout of voters.
That’s among the highest in the nation?WOW!Is that really believeable?
It’s no secret that most young people aren’t interested and don’t vote in the local elections.That’s the demographic that needs to be worked on to vote.
Comment by Mama Bear — July 13, 2008 @ 6:42 am.- “While living in Arizona the initiatives on the ballot were published in full in the newspapers. This way we were able to study the issue well ahead of time”.
That’s a good comment.Good idea.
Comment by kageman — July 13, 2008 @ 3:36 pm
Mary,I’d like to know if you had a website where people could go to see where you stood on the issues;when you ran for city council in 2005.
Comment by kageman — July 13, 2008 @ 3:42 pm
I have to say I have not had any complaints come up regarding voter intimidation by employers or anyone else. There are of course laws against that including federal code if it happens in an election that includes federal officers. I suppose some employers might be more “voting activity friendly” than others but my experience has been pretty positive. As another poster mentioned, we have numerous options for people to vote in place of just “getting away from work on election day.” Early voting in person, early voting by mail, at least one Saturday voting before each major county election, satellite voting at city halls, homebound voting come to mind plus the fact that we open the polls at 7 a.m. vs. the 8 a.m. we could open so many of those on the way to work can vote and of the polls are open until 8 p.m. on election night. That’s a 13 hour time block to vote on Election Day itself plus all the early absentee voting options.
We do publish sample ballots including any issues that are on the ballots in the legal section of the paper and have them available at our office and on our website. However, this is just the actual wording of the ballot and doesn’t give voters an explanation which is what they are usually after and we are not in a position to try and explain the pros and cons of various ballot measures. Our job at the elections office is to conduct the election in a fair and impartial manner which includes not trying to be an advocate for or against any candidates or ballot measures. This is of course where a non-biased and complete voter’s guide would serve the voters and taxpayers well.
Comment by Dan English — July 13, 2008 @ 4:33 pm
a voters guide sounds like a good idea but if the public is going to be asked to pay for a voter’s guide does anyone have any idea how much that would cost? is it done for the entire state? a county? a city or town? where does the money come from?
Comment by reagan — July 14, 2008 @ 8:19 am
mary is it your contention that the league of women voters is not non-partisan?
Comment by reagan — July 14, 2008 @ 8:19 am
The League says that they’re non-partisan and they do not endorse specific candidates or parties. However, their 1990 decision to support gun control firmly plants them on the left, in my opinion. There is a difference between an organization that wants to inform and educate and one that takes sides in a hot political issue. Therefore they have invalidated themselves.
Comment by Dan — July 14, 2008 @ 8:39 am
Kageman, I did have a website for my city council run back in ’05, but it’s long gone now. The main reasons I decided to run for the then open seat were to 1) use my P&Z experience to drive land management ordinance updates that the city had/has been neglecting and 2) offer my 20 years of successful business ownership experience and years of school committee membership in order to represent the community. Mike Kennedy won the three way race and I have no regrets about running. It was a challenging experience and I learned a lot about myself and others. But thanks for asking.
Comment by mary — July 14, 2008 @ 9:54 am
It seems like there still is alot of apathy with any issue here. But when decisions are made people come out of the woodwork to complain. The school forums this summer is a great way to express you ideas, thoughts and concerns but about 20 to 30 people show up each time. This is a missed opportunity if you don’t attend. Probably the city council meetings, LCDC and NIC meetings have the same attendance.
The voting on the levy had some press but still the turnout could have been better.
A voters guide would be great, if not published as a pamphlet then published in the newspaper. It is sad when you go vote and see names of individuals on the ballot and wonder what they stand for and who they are. Also, the issues that are being voted on should have the pro and con side published too.
Apathy is still alive and well here.
Comment by ShyAnn — July 14, 2008 @ 10:18 pm