How does voter turnout in the US compare to the voter turnout in other countries? How do you explain the differences? What were the effects of the...

The United States voter turnout is a topic of interest because despite the nation being a strong democracy, it ranks lower in voter turnout compared to other developed countries. The voter turnout was slightly higher in 2016 when compared to 2012, but it remained lower than the record turnout in 2008. In 2016, the voter turnout was estimated to have reached 55.7%, which was lower compared to countries in the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). The highest was Belgium at 87.2%.

In the United States, voter registration by those eligible is voluntary. Thus, the number of registered voters is much lower compared to the number of potential voters. In states where competition is low between the parties, low voter turnouts have been recorded due to minimal interest. Restrictive voting laws such as photo ID mandates have also impacted negatively on turnout.

The Motor Voter law was introduced to improve participation of marginalized groups in polls. However, the law has not yielded the expected results because its main focus is on registration. Marginalized groups have yet to be convinced of the need to turn out and vote. The Australian ballot system serves the purpose of reducing fraud and expanding voter freedom during the actual voting, but it cannot motivate voters to turn out at the ballot. Thus, more needs to be done to motivate and convince the eligible voters to register and participate in electing their representatives.