Why do fewer people vote during midterm election years?

[undeterred]

I've never not voted in a midterm election, yet I am told that this is pretty standard. Are there that many people who think the only office that matters is President?

[NMDemDist2]

1. lots of states put the Governor's election in that "off" year to help

pump up the turnout

we're voting for Governor here this year and there's a couple really heated races in the State line up that is driving to GOTV but they still figure it's gonna be half of a presidential election

[Mrspeeker]

2. funny considering the electoral college elects the president

[0rganism]

3. It's easier for mass media to sell an audience for "The Big Fight"

Why does the Superbowl draw more viewers and sell more commercials than the playoff games?

[cmd]

4. I'm amazed at how many don't vote for people in the midterms

When we're phone banking we run into quite a few who say they only vote for the issues. They don't vote for people because they jus don't know anything about them.

[OhioBlue]

5. yes...

I actually used to be one. The Presidential race was all I really paid attention to unless there was a local candidate that I really liked. I would have rather watched a Seinfeld re-run than the news. I probably couldn't have named our Secretary of State or even my State Senator.

Bush invaded Iraq. I was astonished. I started reading books, newspapers, blogs... I volunteered for the Kerry campaign... cried for days....

but.... I got involved. Now, I'm on the Executive committee of our local party, I've helped with 2 fundraisers for candidates, I'm County Coordinator for 3 candidates, I've organized phone banks, written letters to the editor, organized canvasses, registered voters, sent mailings... etc....

edit to add: Now I can name everyone of my elected representatives, down to the County Recorder and Township Trustees....

[mrreowwr_kittty]

13. Your experience parallels mine

I paid little attention to politics and figured they were all bums. The war and the Bush admin's anti-environmental policies got me irked and I signed up to volunteer for the Kerry campaign. Then I saw F-911 and that put me over the edge. I took 2 months off from my job to campaign for him. I've been committed ever since. Became a PC and spend most of my free time doing political stuff.

[INdemo]

6. This year will be an exception

Instead of 25 to 28% turnout I think we can look forward to at least a 60% voter turnout among Democrats(and it may be even higher)

But in my county the turnout is low because we dont have anyone to vote for usually..In this red state, red county, many local offices held by Republicans and are unchallenged..Very few Democrats know that we have a State and Nat'l reps to vote for.They just assume its the same ol'general slate of county offices.I think this may be the case in many areas.
But again here in Indiana voters are pissed at the Representatives for voting the opposite of what the people wanted(we might get a Democratic majority in the statehouse this year).We didn't want DS Time and we didn't want the toll road leased and we didn't want the BMV nightmare.

[SheilaT]

7. I'd say it's because most people,

well over 50%, don't really pay a lot of attention to anything outside of the presidential race. Most people have no idea who their Congressman is, most probably couldn't name their Senators, and as for state rep or state senator, forget it. As a result, in a mid-term it tends to be the most motivated who get out and vote.

I suspect that this year the turnout will be unusually low, especially if the evangelicals stay home, which looks increasingly likely.

Keep in mind that our system assumes that only about 50% will turn out in a presidential year, and so polling places are staffed, with people, machines, and ballots, accordingly. If we every had as much as a 70% turn-out the entire system would fall apart.

[undeterred]

10. I would be happy to have the evangelicals stay home...

all the time, but especially on election day.

[upi402]

12. or get their rapture on

buhbye!
O8)

[AlCzervik]

8. amazing and sad many voters don't even realize there are midterm elections

2 of my neighbors though the mid terms were for local races, i mean really local like city council.

[shirlden]

9. Conversation with my neighbor yesterday.

Went like this......Hey Lil, I'll give you a ride to the polls next Tuesday. Oh, are we having an election? Yeh, Lil....a very important one. Well, it is just the primaries .....I never vote in the primaries. No, Lil, we already had the primaries....months ago. Well, this isn't for anything important, is it ? Yeh, Lil, it is.
And so the conversation went with me trying to explain how important this is, but she still insisted that she only ever voted in presidential elections.
I don't even know how she would vote. But I am still feeling an obligation to try again to get her to vote.
Should I or just say WTF and forget it.

:wtf:

[upi402]

11. tv happens

That's what most folks I know who fail to vote do. They do errands and watch TV.