what can be done to increase participation at mid term elections ( and elections in general) ?

[srican69]

I think one of the following should work

1) Make election day a national holiday
2) Make it a conditional holiday - only a holiday if you show proof that you voted
3) Compulsory voting - and fines for violators ( my argument is that if the state can force me to get on a Jury then it can force me to vote by the same logic of 'Civic duty')

[el_bryanto]

1. I think it does need to be a national holiday

The counter argument is that anybody who can't make time to vote probably shouldn't vote - I just see too much room for hanky panky among working class and middle class employees who are on the clock.

Bryant

[cleanhippie]

2. Vote by mail.

The ballot gets sent directly to the voter, and all they have to do it fill it out and out back in the mailbox. No lines, no waiting, and a paper trail for verification and recount.

That's what we do in Washington. And it works well.

[RedCappedBandit]

11. Excellent idea. nt

[Scuba]

3. 4) A party platform that actually does something to motivate people to vote.

[Demo_Chris]

4. For our party, give people something to vote FOR....

That might well apply to everyone, but I am not sure I want the indifferent and ignorant voting more than they already do.

[FatBuddy]

5. make every American a billionaire

so they can stroke major campaign contribution checks.

[pipoman]

6. Do you really want people

Who have to be forced to vote voting?

[loli phabay]

7. first candidate who stood for rescinding that piece of law would win in a landslide

not voting is as much a choice on the candidates as voting for or against.

[MineralMan]

8. What has worked in my precinct

is door-to-door canvassing. I do that in my own precinct, and we consistently have higher voter turnout in mid-term elections. When I encounter a registered voter who says he or she is not planning to vote, I help them understand the local or other issues that make voting important. That usually does the trick, and they tell me they'll vote. I don't talk to everyone in the precinct, but I talk to a lot of people.

Lots of work, but it does work.

[alc]

9. how can we make sure that people who vote, also "have a clue"

I really don't want someone who doesn't pay attention to issues, and doesn't know who the candidates are to go vote for D or R or the person with the most honest sounding name or the person who's name doesn't sound foreign or who their pastor told them was best, or whatever other reasons they may have.

Making voting easier would be great. Making it compulsory would not be good unless we can also compel them to attend classes and learn the issues and candidates or get fined. In jury duty they are forced to listen to the case (both sides) before they decide guilt. Compulsory voting would be like letting the jury stay home until deliberations then decide guilty or not guilty based on anything they wanted.

[RedCappedBandit]

10. 1 should be a given. 3 is absurd.

Nonpartisan GOTV campaigns. Legislation to make it easier, not more difficult, to vote. More accessible early voting.

The real problem is that making it easier for people to vote primarily benefits the working people, and the working people primarily vote for Democrats. The wealthy who hold power don't want that.

[leftyohiolib]

12. move it to the summer

[Bluenorthwest]

13. Vote by mail works here, more votes cast with each passing election cycle

The 2010 midterms which saw such pathetic results in so many places had record breaking voter turn out here.

[jwirr]

14. A national paid holiday so we can stand in lines as long as it takes.