There’s a reason why campaigns to increase democratic participation have become ubiquitous in the United States. Increasing voter turnout is a priority for any healthy democracy — when more people participate in an election, a more diverse cross-section of the electorate is represented in the outcome. This is particularly important when you consider the substantial disparities in participation among different voting blocs, which lead to people in certain demographic groups wielding a disproportionate share of electoral influence.
When researchers at Portland State University analyzed 23 million voting records from 50 American cities, they found the median voting age was 57. People 65 or older were 15 times more likely to vote than residents between the ages of 18 and 34. In some cities, this gap was even more conspicuous — older voters in Dallas (where the median voting age is 62) had 22 times more electoral clout than their younger counterparts. These massive imbalances skew the concerns of public officials toward the interests of some constituents over others.
And age is only one variable. According to surveys conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau, low levels of educational attainment and income are correlated with lower turnout, while black and Hispanic citizens are considerably less likely to vote than white citizens. When marginalized groups aren’t engaged in the political process, their concerns are more likely to be overlooked by elected officials. This generates frustration and cynicism, which makes it even less likely that members of these groups will head to the polls on Election Day. While it’s essential to increase turnout among all Americans, it’s especially important to reach groups that are already underrepresented to help them break out of this cycle.
Like the rest of the country, uneven participation is a problem in Shawnee County. In urban, low-income parts of Topeka (particularly around the center of the city), turnout in the 2016 election was much lower than it was among residents in suburban and rural areas. Although overall voter turnout in the county was about 70 percent, a much smaller proportion of residents in diverse, low-income, Democratic-leaning neighborhoods cast their ballots. In North Topeka and Hi-Crest, turnout was substantially lower than the county average: 38 percent and 46 percent, respectively. These are neighborhoods that face more problems with blighted property, lower rates of home ownership, crime and poverty than the rest of the city.
While we must work to overcome discrepancies in turnout, we should also remember that voter apathy is a problem across the board in local elections.
In the mayoral elections that were held in Topeka in 2009 and 2013, turnout was dismal: 23.5 percent and 14.1 percent, respectively (13.08 percent and 4.4 percent in the primaries). In the 2015 general election, only 12.86 percent of registered voters in the county participated. These numbers are consistent with turnout rates for local elections across the country — the Portland State study found that turnout was less than 15 percent in 10 of the United States’ 30 largest cities. And this problem is getting worse: Researchers at the University of Wisconsin report that average turnout in local elections fell from 26.6 percent in 2001 to less than 21 percent in 2011.
As the polls open on Tuesday, Topekans should resolve to defy these startling trends. Voting is a fundamental right and a vital civic responsibility — one that far too many Americans are content to ignore.
Members of The Capital-Journal’s editorial advisory board are Zach Ahrens, Matt Johnson, Ray Beers Jr., Laura Burton, Garry Cushinberry, Mike Hall, Jessica Lucas, Veronica Padilla and John Stauffer.
