Preaching to the converted, prof explains voter apathy

Perhaps it's fitting that a tiny group of eight students turned out for a discussion on voter apathy last night. Sponsored by the Undergraduate Assembly as part of its Voter Registration Week, Political Science Department Chairman Jack Nagel hosted a small group of students in a forum on how people choose whether to vote. The few who did attend, however, did not need to be reminded to go to the polls on November 7. All of the attendees watched the presidential debate on Tuesday night. Most came directly to McClelland Hall to hear Nagel after a Penn for Gore strategy session, and almost all are working daily to help register voters on Penn's campus. Scheduled as a speech on voter apathy both at Penn and in the country in general, the event ended up allowing the group of mostly Political Science majors to pick the brain of an expert in Political Science in a small group discussion. According to Nagel, the number of people who turn out for a vote can be affected in many ways: For one, low voter participation can stem from the belief that one vote is not going to make a difference in an election. When told by one of the students that most people feel like they are voting symbolically, Nagel responded: "Are you going to decide the election? No, probably not." Voter turn-out can also be affected by early polling that predicts one candidate's success in the election. Many times, Nagel explained, citizens feel that the winner of the contest is chosen well before Election Day. But one of the most obvious reasons that people choose not to vote, Nagel said, is because they feel uninspired by all of the candidates. "Half the audience was probably falling asleep [during last night's debate]," Nagel joked. Those races that are out of the ordinary -- such as in 1992, when three major candidates were vying for the presidency -- tend to increase voter turnout. Additionally, when polling indicates a closer race -- as it does this year -- a greater percentage of people are likely to vote. Other than the closeness of the contest, the race between Vice President Al Gore and Texas Gov. George W. Bush has the makings of a lower turnout election, Nagel said. In general, voters feel that neither candidate has too exciting of a personality or platform to run on, and often find it hard to distinguish between the views of the candidates.