Reform Can Boost Voting

Do you vote? Why not? Does it matter? These are questions that nag political experts as voter turnout continues to decline.

The peak voter participation in California in this century was more than 78% in 1940, no doubt spurred by the prospects of war and the controversy over Franklin D. Roosevelt seeking an unprecedented third term as president. California voter turnout in general elections has declined to around the 50% level; in 1990 it dropped to barely more than 40%.

Election officials have tried a variety of programs to boost turnout. They have made it much easier to register to vote and to cast ballots by mail. But none of this seems to make a significant difference, according to a Times report Monday by staff writers Dave Lesher and Jenifer Warren.

Is not voting so bad? Some experts say that’s better than having elections decided by the ill-informed and those who just don’t care. But a more compelling argument is that we will be a stronger, more cohesive nation and state if more people participate in the political process. No one has developed the magic formula for doing that. Some nations make voting mandatory, but forcing people to vote is not the answer for Americans.

We do know that people who believe their vote counts and that the process is relevant usually will vote. Those who don’t, won’t. Campaign finance reform is one essential for increasing voter confidence in the system. There is no other way to overcome the belief on the part of too many nonvoters that big-money special interests--not the voters--control the politicians.

The information available to voters also needs improvement. The media--particularly television--need to devote far more time to explaining campaign issues and providing a forum for serious candidate discussions; that’s a small price to pay for the harvest of high-priced commercials reaped every political year.

There are plenty of obvious ways to improve the electoral process and political behavior so people will want to vote. The trick is getting politicians--and, yes, the media--to make elections more than an increasingly costly “gotcha” game.