Why Don't More Californians Vote?

[KamaAina]

http://www.capradio.org/65186

California is first in a lot of things, but voting isn't always one of them. In the last election, less than a third of eligible voters cast a ballot. And for one of the most diverse states in the country, it’s still an older, whiter and wealthier group of voters who show up for Election Day.

To get a ground-level look at what is on the minds of Californians this election year, four California public media newsrooms are teaming up. Reporters from KQED in San Francisco, Capital Public Radio in Sacramento, KPBS in San Diego and KPCC in Los Angeles examined voter turnout records to identify communities where many people are opting out of voting and communities where getting in a ballot is a priority....

Price doesn’t vote now. When asked if he might find himself charged up over a controversial proposition or firebrand presidential candidate, he doesn't hesitate to answer.

“Nobody, none,” Price says. “The political process to me is all a big game; it’s all corrupt, it’s about money.”

[yeoman6987]

1. I believe that some probably believe living in a blue states makes it safe not to

Big assumption I know.

[KamaAina]

2. You guys must have had the same problem.

Whoopsie!

[yeoman6987]

3. No doubt but the OP is California

[Dr. Xavier]

4. The population of California has doubled in the last 35 years

and most of that is migration from other states or immigration from other countries (both lawful and unlawful). You have a lot of young people here, who move here for jobs, school, or just to be a Californian. They're not vested in the state as those of us, who are natives or have been here longer than that. 35 years ago, the state's population was just under 20 million, today, the population is just north of 39 million and climbing. 1 out of every 7 American schoolchildren are Californian, so they're too young. Young women are just not voting, an estimated 35 million didn't vote in the 2004 national election. Latinos are not voting (yet), and blacks are increasingly disenfranchised. Asians are voting democratic but are concentrated in high density areas that are already blue. There are certain counties and areas that are solidly red and are not going to change anytime soon because of the lack of jobs and schools in those areas. Hell, they don't have to team up to do this study, have them buy me a steak and a beer and I'll let them know.