An editorial in today’s Cincinnatti Enquirer, Top 10 Reasons to Vote Today, highlights a problem across the country; extremely low voter turnout in non-Presidential primary elections. As the editorial points out, primaries contested within only one party or in jurisdictions where registrations heavily favor one party become de facto general elections. In some places, turnout for primary elections may drop to the teens or single digits.

Here are three simple, cost-effective ways to increase voter turnout:

  • Make it possible and preferable for everyone to vote by mail.
  • Set the election deadline (or voting day) on Saturday.
  • Hold all primaries on the same day across the country.

Of course, the traditionalists of the Christian-Republican Party oppose general efforts to increase voter turnout, so election reform will attract opposition. Notice that the Enquirer only endorsed candidates in the Republican primary and did not propose any reforms intended to increase voter participation. So, was the Enquirer’s intention to increase voter turnout, or GOTV (Get Out The Vote) for their favored Republicans?

…so, why isn’t any Democrat running for Commonwealth Attorney in Kenton County, Kentucky? Too scared to lose?

Read the recent American Prospect special report on election reform; The New Ballot Box.