Voter turnout in the United States fluctuates in national elections, but has never risen to levels of most other well-established democracies. In countries with compulsory voting, like Australia, Belgium, and Chile, voter turnout hovered near 90% in the 2000s. Other countries, like Austria, Sweden, and Italy, experienced turnout rates near 80%. Overall, OECD countries experience turnout rates of about 70%, while in the U.S., about 60% of the voting eligible population votes during presidential election years, and about 40% votes during midterm elections. Empowering a sense of engagement and giving voters a feeling that they are being listened to is the key to changing the trend towards disillusioned apathy.
Harnessing 21st technology is a new ay forward in connecting with voters. The Public-Democracy App is positioned to be the interface between political parties and the voters they seek to represent. It is a repsonive tool for instant low-cost polling with complete analytics.
