Ignorance or Overload? Low turnout at the polls has officials asking whether voters have the information they need to cast smart ballots.

• Author: Underhill, Wendy
• Position: ELECTIONS

With just 35.9 percent of the eligible population bothering to vote last fall, hand-wringing and finger-pointing have ramped up.

Some argue the political parties didn't bring their "A" games to get-out-the-vote drives last year. Or that the top-of-the-ticket candidates were somehow subpar. Others wonder whether voters were intimidated by identification requirements or administrative procedures.

Maybe voters were turned off by the amount of negative advertising or overloaded with too much contradictory information. Or, was it the weather that kept voters at home? Still others point to the youngest voters--who had the lowest turnout of any age group--and wonder why "kids these days" just don't care. Does it really matter if voters turn out?

"I'm never very comfortable with the idea of pushing for a lot higher number of people voting simply for that reason," says North Carolina Representative Chuck McGrady (R). "I want more people to vote, there's no doubt about that, but I particularly want people to vote who have made an informed decision, based on their values and their understanding of the facts."

As election observers look ahead to the next presidential election, the spotlight is turning toward voter information. Would a better informed citizenry lead to higher turnout rates? It's an open question. But then, just about everything related to turnout is.

The Voting Experience

If policymakers are concerned about getting people to pay attention and vote, they could start with the voting experience itself. Long lines or confusing ballots may discourage voters. In fact, lengthy waits at polling places during the 2012 election prompted President Obama to create the bipartisan Presidential Commission on Election Administration. The commission produced a list of steps state and local jurisdictions could take to improve the voting experience. The commission recommended states modernize voter registration, adopt online voter registration, improve polling place management and "address soon-to-be antiquated voting machines."

Lawmakers have also tried to make voting easier. Thirty-six states offer pre-Election Day voting options, such as absentee ballots or early-voting centers. These options might make voting more convenient, but there's not much evidence they motivate people to vote who wouldn't have otherwise.

In recent years, states have also tried to improve the voter registration process. The efforts were aimed at saving money and preventing fraud, but making registration easier also helps people clear the first hurdle to voting. Twenty-seven states and the District of Columbia have authorized online voter registration; Florida, New Mexico and Oklahoma did so this spring. And Oregon lawmakers just passed legislation to automatically register all eligible residents who have a valid driver's license or state identification card.

States are also improving their moter-voter processes by ensuring a smoother handoff of voter registration applications from motor vehicle to voter registration agencies.

Other states allow qualified voters to...