With California’s primary election in process today, the local
question to be answered is whether Gilroy’s voter turnout for this
election is as low as it was in our last election?
With California’s primary election in process today, the local question to be answered is whether Gilroy’s voter turnout for this election is as low as it was in our last election?
While fellow columnist Tom Mulhern wrote about the political process back on Dec. 30 saying “educated citizens will hopefully make 2004 a better year”, I’m afraid I’m too much of a pessimist to think that any real progress will be made in Gilroy or even California by the democratic masses (i.e. the common people, considered as the primary source of political power) to have invested any real effort into studying the issues on today’s ballot, and then doing their duty as citizens to get out and vote.
Now of course, I could be completely wrong. Maybe because this election has focused on ballot measures dealing with state and local financial matters the people of Gilroy will have awakened and will have voted in force. I hope so. We’ll see.
But with all of the things going on in people’s lives with daily information overloads, including such varied things as news broadcasts, soap operas, sports events, video games, Internet porno, and other kinds of user-friendly diversions like e-mail, government matters do seem rather boring and dry.
After all, we’ve got professional politicians to deal with that stuff.
Sure, some people will take the time to examine the issues on the ballot, but I suspect that these folks, no matter which party they adhere to, are in the minority numbers. Even so, many voters appear to vote with their emotions rather than with their capacity to think. In addition, it seems to me that the majority of eligible voters just don’t care – and at the same time, have a plethora of excuses to justify their apathy.
But back to the people, the Gilroy masses, and in particular, our local election last Nov. 7. Since the general ex post facto consensus from The Dispatch was that the election was a dismal failure regarding voter turnout, the question arises, how do we fix voter apathy in Gilroy? Is the answer more voter education? Probably not.
Sample ballots are loaded with information including arguments for and against, as well as counter arguments for and against. Local groups like Gilroy First!? Nope. I think there’s been enough written in The Dispatch to show that Gilroy First! was more than just an issues-based organization. In its initial manifestation last year, it was in reality a front-group for pro-union causes and candidates. That’s hardly being unbiased and putting Gilroy first. So again, asking my own question: how to fix voter apathy in Gilroy?
Well, it only takes a little bit of Madison Avenue marketing psychology. With that foundational premise, Gilroy has an opportunity to be the trend-setting city in the Bay area by coming up with a way to get more registered voters to vote in our local elections, especially the coming November election. Here’s how.
First of all, remember that according to many behavioral scientists, people are motivated by only two things – fear or reward. Since we can’t invoke fear upon those eligible voters who refuse to vote (like saying your property taxes will be raised or your rent will be increased) that leaves reward as the motivating factor to get more voters out and vote.
Since The Dispatch is Gilroy’s only hometown newspaper, The Dispatch can play a key role into making this happen.
Since voters receive a stub when they leave their polling place showing that they’ve voted, my idea is for voters to take their voting stub over to The Dispatch offices on Monterey Street in Gilroy and exchange the stub for an entry form for an “I Voted in Gilroy” contest drawing.
Voters would have five days after the election to enter the contest. Before the election, The Dispatch would ask local merchants to donate prizes for the “I’ve Voted in Gilroy” contest. Maybe Costco or Target or Wal-Mart would donate $100 gift certificates. Or maybe any of our local restaurants would donate a free dinner for two. Even small businesses located in Gilroy could donate some kind of prize in order to publicize their business.
The Dispatch would advertise the prizes to be won and the sponsors of those prizes. Donating companies would therefore get some free publicity. The Dispatch would conduct the drawing one week after the election and publish the names of the winners. Winners would receive their prizes at The Dispatch offices.
The point is to have enough prizes to make such a contest inviting, so maybe 100 prizes of various kinds and values would be an appropriate number to make available. And of course, there should be a first place, second place, and third place prize that are of sufficient value to make voters want to participate. That’s the reward theory in practical Gilroy action.
All local voters have an equal chance to be “thanked” for their voter participation. And if the end (more voter participation) justifies the means (the contest), then Gilroy will have succeeded. It’s simple, it should be lawful, and it just might work. Well Gilroy, what do you think.
