The upcoming 2020 presidential election created lots of excitement amongst American voters, causing the number of new voter registrations to surge. Once COVID-19 hit, however, these numbers seemed to fall off completely. Data in states where new voter registration numbers are available has demonstrated this drastic decrease and the significance of the votes that have been lost.
There are many factors that play into the decrease in voter registration, the primary one being the closure of government buildings. Traditionally, the majority of new registrations took place at each state’s respective Department of Motor Vehicles, according to the District of Columbia Board of Elections. This is because a significant number of new voters register out of opportunity. They do not set out with the purpose of registering, but to renew their license, for example. During their visit, they are given the opportunity to register to vote. This method of convenience-registration has decreased substantially because of DMV closures all over the country. In April of 2019, the number of voters who had registered at the DMV in D.C. as opposed to other methods and locations was 1047. In April of 2020, that number had dropped to 15. This decrease was not compensated by mail-in and online registrations, which have remained about the same. This pattern can be seen all across states in the US where voter registration data is available, indicating that most people do not actively seek registration alternatives because they had no intention of registering in the first place.
Another factor in the decrease of voter registration is the lack of third parties. Most third-party registrants attend high school graduations, festivals, etc. in order to register young citizens who have recently turned 18. The League of Women Voters, for example, had planned to attend over 500 high school graduations this spring to register recent graduates. All of those graduations were cancelled, causing the loss of thousands of potential registrants.
Fewer new registrants doesn’t just mean fewer voters in the 2020 presidential election; it means fewer Democratic voters. According to the U.S. Census, about 25% of all new registrants from 2012-2016 were under the age of 30, who tend to vote more democratically than any other age demographic. A major decrease in new voter registrations means a loss in Democratic voters, creating a partisan effect.
This silencing of liberal voices has, of course, not been addressed by federal government officials, nor will it be. President Trump has even gone so far as to take measures against mail-in voting by perpetuating false claims of voter fraud dangers as a result of this method. The only way to solve this inequality is to make voter registration and voting as accessible to Americans as possible, especially those who require remote methods. Just because our country is facing a pandemic does not mean that public officials get to pick and choose who gets to exercise their democratic rights.
Mackenzie Mason
To me there is no difference between voting in person and voting by mail, they have the same effect on the election it’s just a different process. I agree that the majority of recent high school graduates are democratic voters, and it was upsetting that the pandemic has caused a huge loss in registrants, but in my opinion that number will quickly go back up. Today young people are starting to learn more about what president Trump has done during the pandemic, from not responding to this crisis sooner to demanding that schools open up regardless of teachers and students fearing for a new surge in infections. There is no reason why the president should go against mail in voting, instead the president should be encouraging it because it would be safer for everyone and voting by mail has the same effect as voting in person.
The post makes a good point about how fewer young people will be registered to vote due to the lack of third party registration rallies could not happen. However, with the surge of activism among Generation Z with BLM and large public disagreement over COVID policies, mostly shared among social media, there may be a large population of young voters. Generation Z voters want their voices heard so despite registrants not being able to physically reach young voters, recent activism and encouragement from social media may create a surge of young voters.
The issue of voter apathy has always plagued this country, especially with young people. The lack of easy access to voter registration currently, while no one’s fault, is only worsening an already prevalent problem. Without DMVs, as stated in the articles, as well as school closures, young adults are much less inclined to register on their own. Some are simply just lazy, but other may not be aware how to register. It is important to educate the youth early on, so they know what to do when they eventually reach adulthood. Hopefully with the spark of activism in current times, young people will start to understand the impact of their vote and take the initiative to register on their own.
An interesting point you brought up was that only Democratic voters are decreasing due to less voter registration but Republican voters haven’t decreased. This discrepancy could have important implications on the upcoming election. Also, I was surprised to learn that voter registration has decreased so drastically. With the upcoming election it’s more important than ever for people to register to vote so they can participate in a very contentious and important election. Some people might view civic engagement as extraneous but elected officials are the people at the forefront of legislation and policies that can have considerable impacts on society and individuals.
Voting registration could become a major problem during Covid-19. If we choose to vote at voting booths with Covid-19, there could be a chance of contracting the virus from others who choose to do the same by going to the booths. If we as the United States are to vote online, we could see problems with the online voting system. As we know, it has been told to Americans that the Russians had been apart off a hack in the 2016 presidential election. If that was the case during an election where we didn’t have an online voting process nor a pandemic, then what are the chances that online voting will get hacked by another country that has the power to do that? We as Americans take a big chance if a virtual voting proccess is going to accur and it could cost us if we choose that path ignorer to choose the best president that could keep our country running well.
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