Question of the Month
September
2004
What
have Midwestern states done to expand or improve voter education and
outreach programs?
Since the controversial presidential
election of 2000, voter education programs have become a part of
overall state strategies to reform their election systems. For
example, general provisions to boost awareness of the elections
process and voting equipment have been included in many of the state
laws passed to comply with the federal Help America Vote Act of 2002.
Beyond the recent election reform
movement, though, some policymakers have sought to improve voter
education as a way of boosting turnout at the polls — particularly
among young people. According to The Center for Information &
Research on Civic Learning & Engagement, the turnout rate of 18-
to 24-year-olds fell from 55 percent in 1972 to 42 percent in 2000.
States have tried to reverse this trend
by implementing numerous outreach programs for young people. Last
year, the National Association of Secretaries of State published a
state-by-state "best practices survey" detailing these
efforts, which include civic education programs in the schools,
young-voter registration initiatives and the recruitment of teenagers
as poll workers. The report is available at www.nass.org/reports/newmillennium_bestpractices04.pdf.
While many voter education programs
originate from secretary of state offices or state boards of
elections, some also come from legislation. In 2003, Illinois lawmakers
passed the Voting by Minors Act, a pilot initiative in which K-12
students from participating counties will take part in a mock election
on the day of this year’s general election. The South Dakota Legislature
has designated Feb. 6 as Kids Voting Day.
States also have implemented programs
geared toward the entire citizenry. Three years ago, lawmakers in Indiana
created a special voting system education fund, which reimburses
counties for the development and implementation of programs that
educate the community about voting procedures. Across the country,
numerous pieces of voter education legislation have been considered
and sometimes enacted. They include the creation of a state Voters’
Bill of Rights (which sometimes is required to be posted at polling
places) and the development of new online voters’ guides.
For
more information on this or any other public policy issue, please call
630-925-1922 or complete the online
form for research services.
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