Can the US fix its turnout problem?
South Carolina saw a record turnout for its Republican primary on Saturday. Could weekend voting be the answer to the national turnout problem?
Around South Carolina's state capitol, Columbia, young voters said they felt unable to vote because the system was getting in their way.
Election expert Curtis Gans, who proposes a nationwide biometric voter ID card, sees it differently.
"The problems with American turnout are not procedural, they are motivational," he says.
Don Fowler agrees, citing the closeness of the race and the interest in the candidates as key motivators.
On South Carolina's election day, though, some suggested it was a simple matter of bringing the technology up to date.
"Personally, I would love for us to have computers," says Billie McClam, running a polling precinct for 3,000 registered voters that boasts electronic voting machines but paper voting lists.
In downtown Columbia, Steve Crabb, 30, says even the lure of weekend voting had failed to draw him to the polls.
"I didn't vote today, I went kayaking instead. I'd like to register by text message, set up a PIN number, and vote American Idol-style.
"I promise I'd only vote once, though."
Comments Off
Quinn on January 27th 2012 in Uncategorized