I believe voter participation in elections would significantly increase if
several of the recommendations I have made in the other parts of this report
became reality. The keys to increasing voter participation are in restoring
trust both in those who hold office and in the process of elections and in
inspiring youth to both anxiously await the day they can participate and encouraging
those older than themsleves to be active voters. (I continue to maintain
the office of Missouri Secretary of State should be returned to the strict
mandates of the state constitution, article IV, section 14. Thus emphasizing
the importance of election and corporation laws, the Great Seal, and the
authentication of the official acts of the governor. Although many of
the other things added to the office are interesting and worthwhile, such
as the state library, many of the extra duties, several of which were added
during the Blunt reign as secretary of state, have spread the office too thin and drawn attention from
the importance of free and fair elections.
Of course, many do not care that representative government is best when most
participate and many would not vote no matter what anyone does. However, anything that gets even a few more
people to participate is worth the effort.
I particularly feel more voters would participate
if they better understood the whole process and felt more secure that they could vote, not make a mistake,
and their vote would actually be counted. It has also, of course, been proven over and over again
more people vote when they feel more informed as to what the candidates actually stand for
or what an issue is all about.
California and Massachusetts have in the past had
state issued voter guides permitting all candidates and all positions on issues to be
equally exposed FREE TO THE PUBLIC. Such booklets can also provide an opportunity for voters
to be shown how to properly cast a ballot and their rights as a voter.
Election centers in public
libraries, schools and universities, or other community facilities could certainly help more voters
understand and feel more comfortable with the process.
An informed public is more
likely to have greater voter participation. Voters should be told more about the tabulation process; encouraged to
watch the counting of the votes; vote absentee; vote for
a write-in candidate; and above all how to properly cast a ballot.
Another issue decreasing citizen participation
is harassment of candidates;
arrests or threats of arrest of candidate or voters; mail or phone messages sent to potential candidates to discourage
declarations of candidacy; assault or property damage against candidates or voters. There is not room for
any such actions in Missouri and they must be removed from the
political process. Missouri citizens deserve and expect those who seek office and their parties and campaign
workers to have some common sense and ethics. All voters have just as much a right to seek office as they do
to vote. There needs to be equal treatment of candidates by the media, by the political parties for their
nominee(s), and by all those handling any portion of the election.
The best way to
increase voter participation, I believe, actually begins with igniting the spirit of children to want to
encourage adults to participate and to look forward to the day when they can participate
in the election process themselves.
To avoid further redundancy and because I believe voter participation
certainly would increase with what has been suggested elsewhere in this report and in my comments on the NASS
Millennium Project Survey (linked below), further comments on increasing voter participation do not seem justified.
(Besides that this report is long overdue and I chose to play with a special seven year old much of the first half of November,
1999 as this was written, versus further
belaboring the woes of elections.)
Links to other sites on the Web
Summary Election Report 1999
MP Ideas for Inspiring Youth Participation in elections
Voter Registration and Casting Ballots
Absentee and Write-in Voting
Electronic Vote Tabulation
Mo. Election Laws, CSRs, Constitutional Provisions
Copyright Marvalene Pankey 1999, marvalenpankey@yahoo.com, e fax--810-314-0929.
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