Celebrate Democracy, VOTE!: BASE LINE and VOTER COMPARISONS

Wednesday, August 25, 2010

BASE LINE and VOTER COMPARISONS

To measure improvement in levels of voter participation, we need a baseline. We can compare voter participation by ward, in Primary 8.24.10 with the most recent previous primary. Data hounds are crunching the numbers now....

We often use % of registered voters as a measure of voter participation, but the checklist is inflated by registrations of people who are no longer residents but haven't been purged from the system. It takes years to purge a voter registration, but new voters are added immediately.

Additional factors that influence voter turnout can be conjectured but not measured as they are subjective. What effect does a rainy day have on voter turnout? a snowy ski day? a blizzard? a sunny beach day? many candidates [like the Aug 2010 gubernatorial line-up], or an uncontested 4-tern incumbent? IRV, or plurality? Lively debate forums like the 60 we had recently, or print campaigns? We'll offer the numbers, and leave the analysis to you.

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State Average -- Did Burlington do better or worse?

Summer-long fears of a vote without voters proved groundless Tuesday, as more than 100,000 people participated in the state primary

. The turnout — about 23 percent of 440,000 registered voters — was almost three times that of two years ago and the most since 122,437 voters participated in 2000.

Eric Davis, political observer and retired Middlebury College professor, said that despite the uncertainty about who the Democratic gubernatorial nominee will be, the high turnout is one of the positives Democrats take from the primary. He sees it is a measure of voter interest and commitment that Democrats will hope to hold onto through the fall.

Sept 21, Sec of State Candidates asked HOW TO INSPIRE VOTERS

Election Laws Need Updating?

Vermont campaign finance process is an honor system

Vermonters have a harder time tracking down campaign money

VT's election laws, as compared to the rest of the country, are a disappointment, as reported recently by our press. Voter apathy, Sos apathy, and legislators' apathy mirror each other. Our minimalist election laws need updating. For example, poll signs are required to be put out when the polls open. No requirement that they be clear and visible or displayed in advance so people know where to go before the polls open. Checklists are required to be posted (in a public place?), but no requirement that the public be notified. The checklist in my ward is at a dry cleaner, and a church youth center.