Voter Turnout

I am still in awe of this week's US election, a bloodless revolution turning out the Republican government of the last eight years. What an amazing event to take part in!

With a Democratic and African-American president, we will have more opportunity for peace, international cooperation, maybe even better healthcare for all US citizens, right?

Not necessarily, say many observers. The economic crisis and huge federal deficit will tie the hands of the president and prevent many of the changes we hope for.

Furthermore, multinational corporations are the real powerbrokers, behind things like NAFTA. Republicans and Democrats both are funded by these corporations; Green Party members and others say that the two major parties differ more in rhetoric than in actual decision-making.

In the afternoon on November 4, I went to Jiffy Lube to get my oil changed. The television screen in the waiting room flashed headlines and minute-by-minute results.

"Pretty exciting day," I said to the Latino mechanic who had just changed my oil .

He admitted that he hadn't voted. "I don't really care who wins. Yeah, Obama's cool but I like McCain too. I just want them to keep the economy going so I can take care of my family."

His perspective touched me and made me think about all those who did not vote.

The US population was over 303 million in 2006, according to the US Census Bureau. A website with a population clock says it's 305,607.287 as of 10 am this morning, November 8.

The voting-eligible population this year is 213,005,467, according to a George Mason University website, http://www.elections.gmu.edu/. They get this figure by taking the voting age population and subtracting the non-citizens and felons.

Out of that number, 122,698,661 voted for either McCain or Obama. That looks to me like 57.6% voted for president, not too different from 2004. What about that 10 million increase in voted registration?

American University's Center for the Study of the American Electorate reports that turnout may have been slightly higher, as much as 60-61%, according to a blog by James Joyner, http://www.outsidethebeltway.com/.

The report says Republican turnout was down 1%, Democratic turnout up 2.6%. In swing states the turnout was higher, but in states identified as clearly red or blue, there was not much effort to get out the vote.

"If you're a Republican in California or D.C. or a Democrat in Texas or Alabama, your vote simply doesn't count," opines Joyner.

Of course, in California there were many important propositions to vote on. Los Angeles County's voter turnout was nearly 79%, about the same as the high in 2004.

At my polling place, there were long lines in the morning and afternoon, something I've never seen before. We probably had a turnout closer to 90%.

To vote or not to vote? It's an individual choice, but I believe our political landscape changed and I'm grateful for the 122,698,661 Americans who voted in the presidential race.