… People too often suggest that the nation’s low voter turnout signals a character flaw among Americans, that they somehow do not care enough about politics or are simply irresponsible. But that’s not why voter turnout is relatively low in the United States. The cause is pretty simple—ours is one of the only democracies that requires people to register to vote. Voting, that is, requires that citizens give an affirmative “opt-in,” usually several months in advance of an election. In most other countries, voter registration is the job of the government, not the voters. CONT.
Seth Masket (U. of Denver), Pacific Standard