What Would Get More New Yorkers to Vote?
The number of contested Democratic Congressional primaries in New York City on Tuesday was unusual. The result will not be. A tiny fraction of the electorate will once again determine who the city, dominated by the Democratic Party, sends to the House of Representatives. What can be done to raise voter interest in elections and get more New Yorkers to the polls?
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1) The Internet Can Inform and Motivate Voters
An active program to disseminate campaign information to citizens prior to Election Day could significantly enhance voter participation.
2) Make Elections Nonpartisan
Any candidate who gets more than 50 percent of the vote wins. If no candidate reaches that threshold, the top two vote-getters square off in the general election.
3) Automate Registration and Voting Information
Low turnout in New York makes elected officials less representative and less responsive to the needs of their constituents.
4) Make Competitive Elections More Common
More choices increase campaign activity on the street and encourage more communities and more constituencies to participate.
5) Follow California¡¯s Lead
Without public involvement, powerful real estate interests and public sector unions have turned government into their semiprivate fiefdoms.