Bloomberg bemoans turnout in New York
And
proposes laws to "fix" low turnout. Mayor Bloomberg claims New York has the most restrictive voting rules in the country. No specifics are offered about what exactly is stopping people from voting. Making the ballot easier to read is one of Bloomberg's ideas. Maybe they can include pictures, like a Denny's menu. People can choose, say, from a photo of Jerrold Nadler next to an empty Republican space, or, maybe a crumbling schoolhouse picture vs a nice shiny new one on a bond referendum.Ultimately, at some point, voters need to care enough about what is happening to vote. No amount of tinkering with ballots or schedule can overcome apathy.
Actually, the mayor, and all of us, should be more concerned that those who do vote understand the consequences of their vote. I contend that too many voters, particularly the young, vote merely out of emotion or vote for a candidate merely because their family has always voted for the candidate of a certain party.
Additionally, some issues are extremely complex and many people do not have the time or inclination to research the pros and cons of them or consider their effect on other things. Thus, they merely check either yes or no on the ballot.
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