"Texans need to vote."
Judging by previous elections, low turnout expected in Texas
By PETE ALFANO
Fort Worth Star-Telegram
Copyright 2006
Texas is synonymous with big.
It is bigger than many countries.
Sales of pickups are bigger here than anywhere else in the world.
But when it comes to all things big, Texas also has another more infamous distinction:
Texans aren't big on voting.
Texas ranks 49th in the percentage of women who vote. Men rank 48th. That's according to a recent study by the Institute for Women's Policy Research in Washington, D.C., based on 1998 midterm election and 2000 general election data.
Arizona nudges out Texas for the dubious honor of election day bottom feeder among women; Arizona and Nevada for men.
Even in the 2000 presidential election when, Texas Gov. George W. Bush defeated Vice President Al Gore, only 41.7 percent of Texas female registered voters went to the polls. Among men, the turnout was 39.4 percent.
And with the election only two days away, the prospects for a huge turnout are not encouraging, despite a four-way gubernatorial race and the fact that Republican Kay Bailey Hutchison's U.S. Senate seat and all 32 Texas seats in the U.S. House of Representatives are on the ballot.
Include the state House and Senate races and dozens of local contests and there would seem to be ample motivation for voters even in a nonpresidential election year. But according to the Texas Secretary of State's office, the last gubernatorial election in 2002 brought out only 36.2 percent of registered voters -- men and women. That's when Republicans Rick Perry and John Cornyn were elected as governor and U.S. Senator.
So, Houston, we have a problem. And for that matter, so do Fort Worth, Dallas, Lubbock, San Antonio, and hundreds of other municipalities, towns, suburbs and rural areas across the state.
"The obvious conclusion is that Texans aren't being offered choices that compel them to get off the couch to go vote," Democratic operative Kelly Fero said. "The mediocrity of talent on the ballot discourages turnout."
Republican strategist Reggie Bashur says that Texans simply don't view politics as relevant to their lives. "They see it as a specialty, an activity conducted by a select group," he said.
"Politics is a contest of ideas, differing views and approach to government," Bashur said. "By its nature there is conflict and competition, but the public for some reason doesn't understand it."
In fairness to Texans, Americans in many states get flunking grades when it comes to exercising their civic responsibility. A recent article in the Wall Street Journal said that during the last few decades, less than 40 percent of eligible voters in the U.S. cast ballots in midterm elections.
CNN recently released a poll showing that half of all Americans believe that most of the members of the U.S. House and Senate are corrupt. A majority of Americans also give thumbs down to the way Democrats and Republicans conduct business in Congress.
Glen Smith, a Democratic strategist, doesn't believe that means Americans are even necessarily apathetic.
"Apathy implies that people know better and don't care," he said. "I think people care, but our culture sends an enormous amount of messages that tells them that what they think doesn't matter."
That is one reason Texas Secretary of State Roger Williams often hears as he traverses the state during the campaign season in an effort to get out the vote.
"People say, 'My vote doesn't count, I don't like the candidates, and the issues don't affect me,'" he said. "They also say, 'I don't have the time.'
"We have 80 percent of eligible Texans registered. Now, we have to motivate them to vote."
When the women's policy research institute released its study, the Tarrant County chapter of the Texas League of Women Voters conducted a survey to determine why women stay home on election day. The reasons ranged from lack of information about the issues to being unaware of when elections occur, inconvenient voting locations and times, and no interest in politics.
But those are generic reasons that might be given by women in any state.
The overriding question, then, is what is peculiar to Texas that accounts for its low voter turnout?
Those interviewed offered several possible explanations:
Political culture. Whether it is the vestiges of the independent frontier spirit, as suggested by Boyd Ritchie, Texas Democratic Party chairman, or the Civil War issue of states' rights, many Texans just have a natural aversion to government.
A more diverse population. According to Amy Caiazza, director of democracy and society programs for the Women's Policy Research Institute, the states with "a higher level of ethnic and racial diversity have a lower turnout." Minority voters may feel that those in power really don't represent their interests.
"Instead of saying, 'I want to vote to change this,' they say, 'I'm not voting,'" Smith said.
One-party domination. Whether it is the Democrats, who once ruled Texas, or currently the Republicans, many races are viewed as a foregone conclusion, which keeps voters from both parties home. Democrats say redistricting in 2003 was a power play by Republicans to entrench themselves and ensure control over a majority of the state's congressional delegation. But Republicans didn't invent partisan politics. "My party has been guilty of that as well," Ritchie said. He adds it should not be "about protecting seats, but giving people a voice."
Virtual Texans. This a Sunbelt state attracting people from all around the country. "It takes newcomers a while to get familiar with local politics and faces," said Janet Imhoff, a vice president with the Texas League of Women Voters. "I would give it five years."
Whether these are valid reasons, or rationales and excuses, is almost irrelevant. The result is another tepid political campaign season with the candidates talking essentially to their base. "The concept of a centrist independent voter is a myth," Smith said.
What voters get is less substantive talk about issues and more rhetoric.
Invariably, that leads to more mud-slinging.
"There is a lot of negativity in the political environment," Bashur said. "The public is dismayed with what's going on in Washington and how it's affecting the environment here and elsewhere."
Ritchie says he is surprised that many voters don't see a difference between the major parties. For those trying to pay the bills, educate their children and keep a roof over their head, it doesn't much matter who is occupying the statehouse in Austin.
"We as parties -- Democrats and Republicans -- don't do as good a job as we should at having people look at those things," he said. "Philosophically, there's an astounding difference between the parties, but the idea and perception is that it doesn't matter."
Making registration easier and expanding early voting may increase turnout. Williams will also be looking at results from the super precinct concept in Lubbock, where 90 precincts have been reduced to 35, which will give voters more locations to cast ballots within their precinct and make voting more convenient.
Success will not be in who wins Tuesday, but how many voters cast a ballot.
"If we don't vote, then a minority truly takes over," Williams said. "Texans need to vote."
With apologies to David Letterman ...
Political pundits offer numerous reasons why Texans stay home en masse on Election Day. Here are some you might not have thought about:
Top 10 reasons why Texans don't vote:
10. They still have a hangover from Texas-O.U. weekend.
9.The pickup is in the shop.
8. No candidate is named Bubba.
7. They have tickets to a gun show in Abilene.
6. It is usually 70 degrees, and they don't own a winter coat.
5. There is a Walker, Texas Ranger marathon on cable.
4. They always fire up the barbecue on the first Tuesday in November.
3. The only ticket they'd endorse is Brooks and Dunn.
2. Don't there have to be two parties to have an election?
1. They heard it would be considered Kinky.
Low turnouts
The five states with the lowest turnout among men and women, according to a recent study by the Institute for Women's Policy Research in Washington, D.C. Based on an average of the 1998 midterm and 2000 presidential elections:
Men Pct.
Nevada 37.9
Arizona 39.1
Texas 39.4
Georgia 42.7
Calif. 42.6
U.S. avg. 47.3
Women Pct.
Arizona 41.4
Texas 41.7
Nevada 41.8
Georgia 43.7
Hawaii 43.9
U.S. avg. 49.3
Pete Alfano, 817-390-7985 palfano@star-telegram.com
© 2006 Fort Worth Star-Telegram: www.dfw.com
By PETE ALFANO
Fort Worth Star-Telegram
Copyright 2006
Texas is synonymous with big.
It is bigger than many countries.
Sales of pickups are bigger here than anywhere else in the world.
But when it comes to all things big, Texas also has another more infamous distinction:
Texans aren't big on voting.
Texas ranks 49th in the percentage of women who vote. Men rank 48th. That's according to a recent study by the Institute for Women's Policy Research in Washington, D.C., based on 1998 midterm election and 2000 general election data.
Arizona nudges out Texas for the dubious honor of election day bottom feeder among women; Arizona and Nevada for men.
Even in the 2000 presidential election when, Texas Gov. George W. Bush defeated Vice President Al Gore, only 41.7 percent of Texas female registered voters went to the polls. Among men, the turnout was 39.4 percent.
And with the election only two days away, the prospects for a huge turnout are not encouraging, despite a four-way gubernatorial race and the fact that Republican Kay Bailey Hutchison's U.S. Senate seat and all 32 Texas seats in the U.S. House of Representatives are on the ballot.
Include the state House and Senate races and dozens of local contests and there would seem to be ample motivation for voters even in a nonpresidential election year. But according to the Texas Secretary of State's office, the last gubernatorial election in 2002 brought out only 36.2 percent of registered voters -- men and women. That's when Republicans Rick Perry and John Cornyn were elected as governor and U.S. Senator.
So, Houston, we have a problem. And for that matter, so do Fort Worth, Dallas, Lubbock, San Antonio, and hundreds of other municipalities, towns, suburbs and rural areas across the state.
"The obvious conclusion is that Texans aren't being offered choices that compel them to get off the couch to go vote," Democratic operative Kelly Fero said. "The mediocrity of talent on the ballot discourages turnout."
Republican strategist Reggie Bashur says that Texans simply don't view politics as relevant to their lives. "They see it as a specialty, an activity conducted by a select group," he said.
"Politics is a contest of ideas, differing views and approach to government," Bashur said. "By its nature there is conflict and competition, but the public for some reason doesn't understand it."
In fairness to Texans, Americans in many states get flunking grades when it comes to exercising their civic responsibility. A recent article in the Wall Street Journal said that during the last few decades, less than 40 percent of eligible voters in the U.S. cast ballots in midterm elections.
CNN recently released a poll showing that half of all Americans believe that most of the members of the U.S. House and Senate are corrupt. A majority of Americans also give thumbs down to the way Democrats and Republicans conduct business in Congress.
Glen Smith, a Democratic strategist, doesn't believe that means Americans are even necessarily apathetic.
"Apathy implies that people know better and don't care," he said. "I think people care, but our culture sends an enormous amount of messages that tells them that what they think doesn't matter."
That is one reason Texas Secretary of State Roger Williams often hears as he traverses the state during the campaign season in an effort to get out the vote.
"People say, 'My vote doesn't count, I don't like the candidates, and the issues don't affect me,'" he said. "They also say, 'I don't have the time.'
"We have 80 percent of eligible Texans registered. Now, we have to motivate them to vote."
When the women's policy research institute released its study, the Tarrant County chapter of the Texas League of Women Voters conducted a survey to determine why women stay home on election day. The reasons ranged from lack of information about the issues to being unaware of when elections occur, inconvenient voting locations and times, and no interest in politics.
But those are generic reasons that might be given by women in any state.
The overriding question, then, is what is peculiar to Texas that accounts for its low voter turnout?
Those interviewed offered several possible explanations:
Political culture. Whether it is the vestiges of the independent frontier spirit, as suggested by Boyd Ritchie, Texas Democratic Party chairman, or the Civil War issue of states' rights, many Texans just have a natural aversion to government.
A more diverse population. According to Amy Caiazza, director of democracy and society programs for the Women's Policy Research Institute, the states with "a higher level of ethnic and racial diversity have a lower turnout." Minority voters may feel that those in power really don't represent their interests.
"Instead of saying, 'I want to vote to change this,' they say, 'I'm not voting,'" Smith said.
One-party domination. Whether it is the Democrats, who once ruled Texas, or currently the Republicans, many races are viewed as a foregone conclusion, which keeps voters from both parties home. Democrats say redistricting in 2003 was a power play by Republicans to entrench themselves and ensure control over a majority of the state's congressional delegation. But Republicans didn't invent partisan politics. "My party has been guilty of that as well," Ritchie said. He adds it should not be "about protecting seats, but giving people a voice."
Virtual Texans. This a Sunbelt state attracting people from all around the country. "It takes newcomers a while to get familiar with local politics and faces," said Janet Imhoff, a vice president with the Texas League of Women Voters. "I would give it five years."
Whether these are valid reasons, or rationales and excuses, is almost irrelevant. The result is another tepid political campaign season with the candidates talking essentially to their base. "The concept of a centrist independent voter is a myth," Smith said.
What voters get is less substantive talk about issues and more rhetoric.
Invariably, that leads to more mud-slinging.
"There is a lot of negativity in the political environment," Bashur said. "The public is dismayed with what's going on in Washington and how it's affecting the environment here and elsewhere."
Ritchie says he is surprised that many voters don't see a difference between the major parties. For those trying to pay the bills, educate their children and keep a roof over their head, it doesn't much matter who is occupying the statehouse in Austin.
"We as parties -- Democrats and Republicans -- don't do as good a job as we should at having people look at those things," he said. "Philosophically, there's an astounding difference between the parties, but the idea and perception is that it doesn't matter."
Making registration easier and expanding early voting may increase turnout. Williams will also be looking at results from the super precinct concept in Lubbock, where 90 precincts have been reduced to 35, which will give voters more locations to cast ballots within their precinct and make voting more convenient.
Success will not be in who wins Tuesday, but how many voters cast a ballot.
"If we don't vote, then a minority truly takes over," Williams said. "Texans need to vote."
With apologies to David Letterman ...
Political pundits offer numerous reasons why Texans stay home en masse on Election Day. Here are some you might not have thought about:
Top 10 reasons why Texans don't vote:
10. They still have a hangover from Texas-O.U. weekend.
9.The pickup is in the shop.
8. No candidate is named Bubba.
7. They have tickets to a gun show in Abilene.
6. It is usually 70 degrees, and they don't own a winter coat.
5. There is a Walker, Texas Ranger marathon on cable.
4. They always fire up the barbecue on the first Tuesday in November.
3. The only ticket they'd endorse is Brooks and Dunn.
2. Don't there have to be two parties to have an election?
1. They heard it would be considered Kinky.
Low turnouts
The five states with the lowest turnout among men and women, according to a recent study by the Institute for Women's Policy Research in Washington, D.C. Based on an average of the 1998 midterm and 2000 presidential elections:
Men Pct.
Nevada 37.9
Arizona 39.1
Texas 39.4
Georgia 42.7
Calif. 42.6
U.S. avg. 47.3
Women Pct.
Arizona 41.4
Texas 41.7
Nevada 41.8
Georgia 43.7
Hawaii 43.9
U.S. avg. 49.3
Pete Alfano, 817-390-7985 palfano@star-telegram.com
© 2006 Fort Worth Star-Telegram:
posted by Porkus Maximus Tex: at Sunday, November 05, 2006
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