199) Vote or...?

The modern day sphinx's question: how to get people to vote? How to motivate people enough that they will take the necessary and sometimes complicated steps to have their opinions counted? On the surface, it seems like an easy sell. A country built on democracy, civic duty, make your voice heard, etc. And yet, the numbers stay dismally low. According to a report by the Center for the Study of the American Electorate at American University, slightly less than 19 percent of the voting population voted in the 2010 primaries.

There's been a huge push in recent years to stimulate the youth vote, as some point to us youngins as the cause of voter decline. It helps that we are more impressionable, more likely to be swayed. MTV (Rock the Vote and Vote or Die), celebrities (see above), and Michael Moore are among those who've launched campaigns to motivate youth voters.

What strikes me the most is the lack of consolidated data on voter turnout. Yes, there is census info that tracks registered voters, but have you ever tried to read a census Excel sheet? I would love to see an agency take this on. Not only aggregating and presenting the statistics, but also attacking the question of how to get people to vote. Research to understand how people feel about voting, barriers to entry, etc., a brief and a solution. Hmmm, ambitious side project?