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Nonvoters handed Donald Trump the 2016 Presidential election per Pew Research
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I Just Don’t Get Why People Don’t Vote
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This is the second in a series exploring the world of nonvoters: who they are, why they don’t vote, and what we can do to change that. With thanks to Judith Taylor and Ken Karnofsky who researched the topic for the newsletter.
A huge part of Swing Left’s strategy for 2020 is to get out the vote. To make this happen, you have to know what’s stopping them.
Some obstacles are harder to overcome than others. For example, some voters don’t feel they can make a difference or there’s no one on the ballot they like. Others feel no allegiance to a party or cause.
When it comes to young voters, according to the NY Times, “The problem is circular and self-reinforcing. Just when millennial and Gen Z voters have the most power to choose their leaders, many feel no one is speaking to them. So many of them don’t vote. So many candidates continue not to speak to them. So they get still more disillusioned.”
The good news
Swing Left is tackling a host of other reasons people aren’t voting. Here’s where every one of us can affect the outcome of the election.
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Reason
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What you can do
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Many people, particularly marginalized groups, don’t vote because polling sites and times are inaccessible.
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With your help, Super State leaders are directing countless hours and resources to flipping state legislatures and supreme courts, the institutions that control these policies.
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Others don’t get a chance to vote because bureaucracy (i.e., obstruction) hampers voter registration and voting itself.
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Even now, months before the election, Swing Left volunteers are calling, tweeting, and postcarding potential voters, making sure they are registered, offering help to get registered, and facilitating the use of vote-by-mail alternatives.
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Many individuals simply don’t have connections to other people who vote.
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Swing Left is working with grassroots organizations on the ground to foster cohesion and empowerment in communities that are often left out of the election process.
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No one has asked them to vote, or they’ve simply forgotten.
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Come October and November, we’ll be using every communication channel available — including armies of canvassers if COVID-19 allows — to make sure every potential voter knows that voting is the most powerful tool available for turning the country around.
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