Evening star., 1948-11-14
The Voters Who Stayed Home

The Voters Who Stayed Home
Considered within the context of these
times, when so much of the world Is in the
iron grip of tyranny still on the march,
no aspect OF our 194s election returns seems
more important or disturbing than the
shocking apathy displayed by great mass
of the American electorate.
Since 1910, as estimated by the Federal
Bureau of the Census, our overall popula-
ton has increased by about 100000 In
terms of individuals of voting age, 1t has
climbed upwards of 100000 to total OF
s50oo,oo0 Accordingly, If we take the
latter figure and make generous deduc-
tions to cover noncitizens and other In
eligibles included in it, we may safely
assume that roughly 9o000,O 900 had the
right on last November "a right which
ought also to be considered duty-to 60
to the polls.
But how did these eligible Americans
exercise that right? According to the latest
unofficial count Tin round numbers), only
4730O,000 of them-approximately 81 per
cent-were good enough citizens to vote.
AS for all the rest-48 per cent-they ap-
parently thought so little of their precious
heritage as free men and women that they
just stayed home. Hence, despite our great
population increase in the past eight years,
our 1s4s presidential election returns were
about four percentage points under those
for 1914 when over 48,000,000 went to the
polls, and some seven percentage points
under those for 1910 when close to 50,000,000
chose between Roosevelt and Willkie.
With rare exceptions Massachusetts and
California-notably the latter-voted in
substantially greater numbers than in 1910
or 1944), the indifference thus displayed on
last November was displayed on coun-
try-wide scale, in both industrial and farm
States, large and small. The returns in
Ohio for example, were $4,000 under those
for 1910; in Pennsylvania, they were 372,-
900 under; in New York, 173, 900 under; in
Illinois, 100000 under; in Iowa, $4,000
under, and in little North Dakota, ia 900
under-one of the worst showings OF all in
terms of percentages, the total vote being
not much more than half the 280, 900 cast
for Roosevelt and Willkie eight years ago.
These and similar figures of course, have
might -have-been meaning for the po-
litical leadership of both our major parties.
Depending on the viewpoint, Republican
can say that If the vote had been larger,
Governor Dewey possibly would be Presi-
dent-elect today, and by the same token
Democrat can reply that Mr. Truman's
victory perhaps would have entered history
as an overwhelming landslide. Further, II
one Is looking for excuses to absolve the
voting public Of any serious blame for its
poor turnout, one can argue that the presi-
Dental candidates failed to arouse enthu-
siasm or that the pollsters and experts"
gone conclusion that millions thought 1t
pointless to cast ballots.
Excuses and the might-have- been to one
side, however, the fact remains that it is
anything but sign of health In our democ-
racy when approximately 48 per cent of the
electorate fails to participate in polling
contest involving issues of unparalleled
national and international Importance.
We tend to boast in America about our
free way of life, but when it comes to the
vote-a vital part OF our self-governing
SyoVC1l-IICoi4y IIdA1 VI uo IlC6lCCL w use 4t
In the 1916 general election in New Zea-
land, over SO per cent of the eligibles cast
their ballots. and in Australia the turnout
was bit more than 81 per cent. Our own
record, by comparison, is nothing less than
shameful.
New Zealand and Australia, of course,
have compulsory systems under which rela-
lively mild penalties are imposed on citi-
zens who fail-without good reason-to
register or vote. 1t may be that the same
idea would not work here. But certainly
we have great deal to learn from these
two small democracies about the RESPONSE
bilities of citizenship in free nation at a
time when vast segments of tyrannized
humanity are yearning for the very same
right-the right and the duty-that 4S per
cent Of our electorate ignored on Novem-
ber 2.
Our political scientists aud our educa-
tors would do well to look into this matter
with great care to see what, If anything,
can be done about 1t. As for all those in
different American voters who stayed home,
they could do worse than search their
consciences and ponder the fate of other
peoples who failed at one time or an
other in history, to live up to the ob]iga-
tions of freedom.
Roosf foy Air Aendenv