Low participation among young voters a concern for Board of Elections

Over the last 20 years, Indiana has been suffering from declining voter turnout and enthusiasm.

“In the state as a whole, our voting eligibility population is near the bottom,” said Mike Smith, who has worked as a staff member of the Tippecanoe County Board of Elections and Registration for 42 years.

He tracks voter data in different age segments within Tippecanoe County. Statistics regarding young voter turnout, within the 18 to 25 age segment, have recently been a cause for concern.

“In the primary election we held on May 7, the county as a whole had 13.2% turnout. For young voters, it was only 4.1%. That’s a significant difference,” Smith said with eyebrows furrowed.

The goal for election and registration boards, which may seem unrealistic, is to achieve a 100% voter turnout rate.

Smith addressed Australia as an example of a country that neared that objective with a 92% voter turnout rate in their 2019 federal election.

“In the 2022 general election, this county had an overall 32.2% turnout, but that age segment of 18 to 25 was only 7.8%,” Smith said.

Low enthusiasm about current presidential candidates is rampant across the board, raising concern for the state of the upcoming election in November.

“Polling data is pretty clear that the two major candidates for the Republican and Democratic Parties are not held in particularly high regard. I’m talking about (Donald) Trump and (Joe) Biden,” Purdue University political science professor James McCann said.

“A lot of Americans would like to see different candidates … Polling data among young voters suggests there is a lot of ambivalence about turning out,” McCann said. “On one hand, younger folks recognize their civic duty and major issues facing the country. But, there’s also a lack of enthusiasm about the candidates and the way politics is practiced.”

The two identify issues such as reproductive rights, high living costs, climate change and foreign policy as important to young voters.

Conflicts in Ukraine and Palestine were referred to as recent issues gaining young voters’ attention.

“I think in general, Americans are feeling more and more skeptical about how they’re being represented. Levels of trust in lawmakers have fallen quite a bit in their lifetime,” McCann said.

“Dissatisfaction in candidates definitely depresses voter turnout,” Smith said. “I’ll be flippant about it. (The candidates) are depressing and depress turnout.”

Smith compared current presidential candidate’s campaigns with Bernie Sanders’, who Smith described as one recent candidate that lit a fire under young voters with his policy ideas.

“It’s understandable why young people have tepid enthusiasm. For them, they don’t feel like either choice is going to anything for them, so why bother,” he said.

Despite low voter turnout in Tippecanoe County, Smith claims voting is the most accessible it’s been.

“There are no structural barriers. This is a very easy place to vote. We even accept Purdue IDs,” Smith said.

The process of voting has expanded online to make voting more accessible. All one needs in this county is an Indiana ID or Driver’s License and the last four digits of a Social Security number.

“You also need proof of residency, which can be your dorm assignment. You can register online or in person at the Tippecanoe County Office, the BMV, or a library. You just need to register 30 days before an election,” Smith said.

“A lot of people have this misconception that it’s very difficult to vote, but it’s really not,” he said.

Smith encourages young voters to participate in local elections as well. He refers to issues related to zoning, housing costs, and accessible transportation and parking as impactful to young voters.

He identifies slow approval processes for building housing as an issue that drives prices in the housing market up. Another issue he said could hurt Purdue students’ wallets is upcoming transportation costs.

“Right now, Purdue students ride the bus for free to anywhere in the county the bus goes. Purdue students can get on with their ID and go anywhere for free,” Smith said. “The CityBus company, which is a municipal corporation, is proposing to charge Purdue students starting next fall to ride the bus off any of the campus loops.”

“These aren’t issues being considered in the halls of Congress. Those are issues handled right down here at City Hall,” he said. “I want young voters to engage because it’s healthy for society. The more people participate, the more politicians are scared because they’ll be held accountable.”