Your Civic Duty is to Vote! Most & Least Politically Engaged States, there’s a growing lack of political engagement among Americans

From Our Friends at WalletHub:

Civic participation is a key ingredient of a well-functioning democracy, and voter turnout is one measure of the public’s trust in government. Unfortunately, there’s evidence to suggest a growing lack of political engagement among Americans.

With Election Day coming up and only 66.8% of the voting age population having voted in the 2020 presidential election and 53.4% in the 2018 midterm, the personal-finance website WalletHub today released its report on 2022’s Most & Least Politically Engaged States, as well as accompanying videos and expert commentary.

In order to determine where Americans are most involved in politics, WalletHub compared the 50 states based on 10 key indicators of political engagement. They range from the percentage of registered voters in the 2020 presidential election to total political contributions per adult population.

Key Stats

• New Jersey has the highest share of citizens who actually voted in the 2020 presidential election, 78.30 percent, which is 1.5 times higher than in Arkansas, where the percentage is lowest at 54.00 percent.
• Maine has the highest share of citizens who actually voted in the 2018 midterm elections, 65.60 percent, which is 1.5 times higher than in Arkansas, where the percentage is lowest at 42.60 percent.
• There is a 0.7 correlation between the overall ranking of the states for political engagement and the level of education in each state (measured as the percentage of the population with at least a bachelor’s degree).
• Blue states are more politically engaged, with an average ranking of 15.76, compared with 35.24 for Red states (1 = Best).

To view the full report and your state’s ranking, please visit:
https://wallethub.com/edu/most-least-politically-engaged-states/7782/

Expert Commentary

What states do you think will have a particularly high turnout this election year? 

“Turnout is a function of four things – political culture, socioeconomic factors (education, income, etc.), the ease of voting, and mobilization. The states that usually have high turnout – wealthier and better-educated states such as Massachusetts, Connecticut, Minnesota, or Colorado – will continue to have high turnout. Some states with competitive statewide races – places like Georgia or Pennsylvania – may also be places where one or both parties are successful in getting voters to turn out. Few of the states with competitive statewide races are places where turnout usually tends to be high, but if I had to choose, I would pick New Hampshire or Colorado as places where more than one of these factors is present.”
Robert G. Boatright – Professor, Clark University

“States where there are close elections can expect higher turnout and they will be more politically engaged than others. States that have safe elections for one party or the other will still have higher turnout than in the past, but comparatively speaking, the swing states will be more engaged and have higher turnout in November 2022. In terms of turnout, I predict the top five states will be Florida, Wisconsin, Arizona, Kansas, and Nevada. Secondarily, Georgia, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Ohio. The others will line up behind those.”
William Eric Davis – Professor, College of Southern Nevada

Why are some states more politically engaged than others?

“In looking at states with consistently high voter turnout, including Alaska, Maine, and Vermont, it is clear that retail politics can help promote political engagement. In states with just one or two congressional districts, a candidate running for a congressional seat or statewide office will be expected to engage with constituents on the campaign trail, in town-hall formats, or in debates. Vibrant press coverage, with candidates and elected officials providing interviews to statewide and local print or broadcast media, in addition to the candidates maintaining an active social media presence, provides a number of different outlets for voters to learn about candidates and issues. Challengers and incumbents alike understand the role of the local press in particular, both in getting out a message and in connecting constituents to their government.”
Janet M. Martin, Ph.D. – Professor, Bowdoin College

“Several reasons. We know from quantitative work that education and income correlate highly with voter turnout. So, states, where a greater proportion of people have college degrees and higher incomes (i.e., Massachusetts, Minnesota, etc.), will tend to have higher voter turnout rates. The ease of voting also helps. States where voting by mail is possible and where someone can register to vote close to election time will have fewer barriers in the way for people to vote, which should cause turnout rates to rise.”
Alison Johnston – Associate Professor, Oregon State University

What are effective local strategies for increasing political engagement? 

“Unfortunately, threat or fear is a major motivator for citizens, one of the reasons the airwaves fill with negative ads. Education is also a long-term predictor of political engagement, especially just understanding how the system works and how ordinary people can move the needle. Mobilization by personal contacts or organizations can work for folks who sympathize with an organization such as a local environmental coalition, local civic group, or social media membership. There is power in mobilizing someone relationally, either as part of their personal brand or as part of their personal circles.”
Rebecca C. Harris, Ph.D. – Professor, Washington and Lee University

“To encourage people to vote, there are several things authorities can do: 1) Make election days national holidays so that people don’t have to choose between paying bills and civic engagement 2) Drop voter ID laws and follow the example of states like Massachusetts which make it easier to participate 3) Provide transportation to polling stations from high-density areas 4) Encourage more young people and minorities to run for office so that voters will feel their interests are being represented in political institutions.”
Daniel Aldrich – Professor & Director of the Security and Resilience Studies Program, Northeastern University

PLEASE VOTE!!! BUT PLEASE PRAY!!! Written By Pastor Leonard Navarre

When Jesus had a very important decision to make, he spent an entire night in prayer before the selection process.

Luke 6:12-13  (NLT). 12 One day soon afterward Jesus went up on a mountain to pray, and he prayed to God all night. 13 At daybreak he called together all of his disciples and chose twelve of them to be apostles. 

Since we are again entering a season of elections, we have a great opportunity. We will be making decisions as to who will lead us and our country.  I pray, that we will give much time to prayer and fasting as we vote on these leaders and in some places amendments.

When Jesus was looking for leaders to take his message not only to Jerusalem but around the world He spent an entire night in prayer before that selection process.  When I think about those apostles, I know I probably wouldn’t have voted for them or selected them.  They didn’t stand out and they weren’t of the upper class.  Some one has suggested they weren’t even very faithful of the Torah.

But Jesus, after spending an entire night in prayer, voted and chose these 12 ordinary men who then went out and changed the world.   They took this new message, THE WAY from Jerusalem to Galilee to around the world.

So, friends as we enter this election cycle, may I  give you a few suggestions.

1. Pray, pray, pray.  Maybe spend an entire night praying before entering the voting booth.
2. Fast, Fast, fast before you enter that voting booth.
3. Evaluate the candidates not by personality, but by character and principles.  Do their beliefs line up with God’s Word?
4. Think about the long-term outcome of our decisions.
5. Get a sample ballot early.  Study the candidates and look up their web sites to study their beliefs.
6. VOTE!  VOTE!  VOTE!  Maybe, pick up friends to go vote with you.  Some people have a hard time getting out to vote.

Every election is important!  In our constitutional republic we have been given an awesome responsibility.  The opportunity and privilege to vote.  There are nations in our world who don’t have the opportunity to vote in an open election.  Some are even coerced and forced to vote a certain way.

So, friends, please don’t take this responsibility lightly.  EVERY ELECTION IS IMPORTANT!  SO PLEASE, GO VOTE!

I am praying for you and your family.
Leonard Navarre

Lubbock, Texas

FGGAM STATEMENT OF FAITH: