The Texas Tribune reports on the latest primary number - which are as low as they've ever been.
- click here for the article.
Some highlights:
. . . there is no way to spin Texas voters’ anemic level of interest into a positive commentary on civic engagement.
“It is kind of an electoral wasteland — not a lot of competition, not a lot of motivation for the parties to get out and mobilize,” said Michael P. McDonald, associate professor of government and politics at George Mason University. “If there is no battle, they just sit back and become weak and flabby.”
In years when voters are not driven to the polls by presidential races — those always inflate the numbers — Texas is one of the worst places in the country for voter turnout and engagement.
In 2010, 32.1 percent of the state’s eligible adults voted in the general election, according to the United States Elections Project maintained by McDonald. Only one place was worst: the District of Columbia, with 28.9 percent. The national rate was 41 percent — still lousy, but much better than in Texas. Minnesota was at the head of the class that year, turning out 55.4 percent of its eligible population.
The lack of meaningful electoral competition in the state makes the races less interesting and leads to voters tuning the campaigns out. People get in the habit of not voting. One of the reasons primary races are not competitive is that they have been designed not to be. Gerrymandering ensures that certain districts will be represented by Republicans, while others will be represented by Democrats. This suppresses the need to vote. In fact, high turnout might be threatening to an incumbent, so they might have an incentive to keep turnout low.
Most districts are drawn to favor one party or another, meaning that the winner of the Democratic or Republican primary will win in November unless they make a terrible mistake and also have an opponent on the general election ballot. Texas has 36 congressional seats. In seven of them, the Republican candidate has no Democratic opponent. In six, the Democratic candidate has no Republican opponent. Only one of the remaining seats, the 23rd Congressional District, is considered winnable by either major party in November. The overall level of competition is similar in the 31-member Texas Senate and in the 150-member Texas House.
Try selling that to an unmotivated voter.
This helps us come to grips with the reality of low voter turnout in the state. We'll discuss this more, its an ongoing issue in the state, but it is worth remembering that not everyone benefits from high voter turnout. There are reasons it is suppressed.
Both 2305 and 2306 students wade through early material on civic virtue and engagement and how important these are in a republic.
