Washington Spectator: What If We Gave an Election and Everyone Came? Time to Think about Universal Voting

Among people who care about protecting and improving American democracy, there is deep concern about the low rates of electoral participation in the United States.

So begins Miles Rapoport’s new op-ed in the Washington Spectator.

As the world’s oldest democracy, turnout rates in the United States are pitiful. In the 2020 Presidential election, democracy advocates celebrated the record-breaking turnout of 169 million people, or 66% of eligible voters. In the 2018 midterms, 118 million people voted, also a ‘record’ turnout of 50%. (In 2022, turnout dropped to 112 million, or 46%.) When 50% of our population votes, it’s time for a celebration. Really? On voter turnout, by consensus an essential measure of democracy, the US lags far behind our allies and peers.

You can read the full op-ed here.