Tuesday’s predictably abysmal voter turnout once again shows that people fundamentally don’t care about our democracy.

I grow tired of the excuses of “I had something else to do” or “I am not informed enough to vote” as they only further this point.  We ask our citizens to vote twice a year – on average it takes no more than five minutes of your year to actually vote and, perhaps, an hour over many, many months to become informed about the issues. I am honestly baffled by people’s utter lack of regard for the very government that affects them on a day to day basis.

As an example, the fate of Salt Lake City rests in the nine vote lead Soren Simonsen currently holds in Salt Lake’s 7^th City Council seat – will the city maintain the more liberal course Simonsen offers, or will opponent Lisa Adams act as a moderate tie-breaker on the council? Regardless of your political affiliation, you have to admit that the nearly 13,500 people who didn’t vote in that race arguably had a greater impact on the fate of the entire city when compared to the 3,500 who did.

But perhaps that is to abstract.  Let’s talk turkey.  The Public Safety Building passed by a near two to one margin – a solid victory indeed, but one has to wonder if the 86,000 plus residents who didn’t vote honestly don’t care if their taxes go up over the coming years.

Well, we know the answer.  People will inevitably complain that government doesn’t represent them, that taxes are to high, and that services are not being provided – but I severely doubt that even a majority of the people who raise their voice down the road participated in Tuesday’s election.

In my mind a few things need to be changed in order to get the participation numbers to at least pathetic levels.

First and foremost, we need to make it less difficult for people to vote in the first place.  In Utah, the legislature has been far too eager to make life difficult for those unfamiliar with the election process but who still wish to participate. We need same day registration and to abolish the ID rule for all voters; furthermore, we need to give county clerks the proper resources they need to ensure that people not only have a place to vote, but know that an election is coming up in the first place and how to vote.

Second, we need to change our attitude towards voting.  Specifically, I am referring to the media trying to make voting cool – well guess what, it is not cool.  It is a chore and we need to think of it as such.  Think about it, people generally will substitute one fun thing for another if it comes along.  If voting is “fun” but going to the movies is more fun, guess what most people are going to do? No, voting needs to be seen as a chore – but, instead of throwing out the trash to maintain the home, we are voting to maintain the republic. Chores imply responsibility, fun implies whimsy.

Third, we need to improve civics education.  Most people don’t participate in government because they simply don’t know how to…most people don’t even know what the three branches of government are or what they do, yet we expect them to make decisions when they know full well that they don’t know what they are doing? Children should receive appropriate levels of civics education in 1^st, 4^th, 9^th, and 12^th grade as part of a well rounded curriculum and the FCC should mandate that public airwaves be used to educate the adult population during times when people are actually watching and listening.

Finally, we politicos need to realize that participating in government isn’t the top priority for everyone. Sure, we can sit back and chew the fat with our colleagues until the cows come home, but that does nothing beyond ensure that we stay in an echo chamber and that people continue to tune us out. I say we take the time to reach out and talk to people who are not inherently active. You know these people, they are the friends and neighbors who never seem to vote despite you yelling at them. I challenge you to talk with them rather than talk at them…and don’t make it a political discussion, make it a civics discussion; allow them to decide who they should vote for.