Question

identify the changes to voting that would address the disenfranchisement of younger voters, according to the textbook author.

Answer 1

The textbook suggests increasing young voter turnout through all-mail voting, weekend elections, automatic voter registration, and reducing impediments to registration. Recent restrictive state laws, however, present new barriers to voting.

Step-by-step explanation:

To address the disenfranchisement of younger voters, the textbook author suggests several changes to the voting system. These changes aim to make voting more responsive, reflective, and accessible. According to the author, options for increasing voter turnout include moving to all-mail voting, holding elections on weekends to accommodate those with weekday commitments, automatically registering voters, and passing federal laws to reduce impediments to voter registration. Additionally, the Voting Rights Act of 1965 and subsequent amendments to the US Constitution have sought to remove barriers based on race, gender, and age. However, recent state laws have enacted new voting restrictions that have been criticized for creating barriers to voting, such as reducing early voting periods, enforcing strict photo ID requirements, and requiring proof of U.S. citizenship, all of which disproportionately affect younger voters and minority communities.

Answer 2

Today, one of the most significant change that can address the disenfranchisement of younger voters is implementing automatic voter registration.

How will this discourage disenfranchisement of youths?

Automatic voter registration can ensure that all young people are registered to vote when they interact with government agencies like the DMV or when they turn 18 years old. This would eliminate the burden of young voters having to navigate voter registration processes.

It would address the disenfranchisement of younger voters by streamlining the registration process and increasing the accuracy of voter rolls.

It would also reduce the likelihood of young voters being purged from voter rolls due to administrative errors or inactivity which is a common issue that disproportionately affects them.