Friday, November 19, 2010

Our voter turnout is worst in the union

From the NY Times:

Despite contests for every statewide office for the first time in decades, a smaller share of eligible voters turned out two weeks ago in New York than in any other state. New York turnout was lower than in any midterm election for at least three decades.

On the basis of unofficial returns, about 40 percent of registered New Yorkers voted on Nov. 2. But an analysis by the United States Election Project at George Mason University found that only 32.1 percent of the 13.4 million who were eligible — citizens 18 and older who are not convicted felons — actually voted.

New York ranked lowest, just below Texas and Utah. Minnesota recorded the highest turnout (55.4 percent), one of six states in which more than half the eligible population voted.

New York ranked among the 10 lowest turnout states in 2006 and 2008, but this was the first year since then that it sank to the very bottom.

Turnout in all 50 states and the District of Columbia averaged about 40 percent this year.

11 comments:

Anonymous said...

The bigger picture is here:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/11/03/AR2010110304486.html

It helps explain why we got the dismal results nationally.

faster340 said...

"Our voter turnout is worst in the union"

"Our candidate pool is worst in the union"

I don't vote if I don't like any of candidates. Too bad they don't have a section on the ballot for "None of the Above"....

Anonymous said...

Why vote when we are not allowed a choice of candidates. I mean really - how many times will Mark and David Weprin run unopposed in a primary or general election. The working families party should start running its own candidates instead of being another line for the democrats.

Anonymous said...

The primaries are to blame regarding who gets on the ballot.

In fact sitting office holders candidates should be barred from being on multiple party lines and that to be elected they must run against another candidate, including someone from their own party.

Term limits in NYS would eliminate the entrenched politican which voters are turned off by and don't vote because the outcome is a given. We are governed by the worst group of folks in all of the land!

Anonymous said...

A People get the Government they deserve...

Anonymous said...

I always like how the local press in Queens never says a thing about how the process makes the election all but pointless.

But they do tell you to get out to vote!

They really funny thing is if they critique Albany and Washington, they always tell you that YOUR politican does a great job.

Assholes.

Anonymous said...

I voted. For anybody not followed by an (R) or a (D).

Anonymous said...

When NYC comes up with the viable candidates and not the usual recycled politicians who want job security, perhaps people will come out and vote.

Anonymous said...

How can you vote when you don't even know about all the candidates who are running. You only hear about the incumbents. There was a debate for governor on NY1. Most people don't have time warner cable, so they don't get NY1. When the media gives all candidates their due, people will come out and vote.

Anonymous said...

I wasted my time by voting. Not one candidate I voted for won. This city is so full of Dem zombies who vote in the same fools over and over again expecting different results.

Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.

Anonymous said...

"Anonymous said...

I wasted my time by voting. Not one candidate I voted for won."

Hallelujah! Another idiot who votes against his own interests negated!