Over Half of Us Voted Is It Really That Great?!?!?
by iHeartMedia’s Sally Adams
Is it right to be proud that over half of us voted his mid-term election?
Texas has been one of the worst voting records in the country. Suddenly this mid-term election we march to the polls in record numbers for us --- but 38 states had a better voter-per-registered voter turnout. Why don't more people vote? Dr. Brandon Rottinghaus, Political Science Professor at University of Houston, says, “Voting for most people is actually a bit of a challenge. You have to find out how to register to vote, then register, learn about the issues and candidates, find out where you vote and then vote. A lot of people don’t take the time.” Dr. Rottinghaus He feels online voting and same-day registration will eliminate a lot the barriers some would-be voters face.
He also thinks finding a nonpartisan voting guide can make things seem clearer for the potential voter. Linda Cohn is President of the Houston Area League of Women Voters, which she says is “aggressively nonpartisan” says it’s easy to find their Voters Guides they make for every election I the area. Either go to their web site or visit your local library. She says the increase in first time voters makes her feel optimistic. “I think a lot of first time voters will become lifetime voters. We go to the Naturalization Ceremonies [where people from other countries become official American citizens] and register new citizens to vote. We usually register 80% of the new citizens we see sworn in.”