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MOTIVATING VOTERS
Running head: MOTIVATING VOTERS 1
Motivating Voters
Quintera Parker
University of Arizona Global Campus
POL 201: American National Government
Instructor: Dwight Alvis
August 25, 2022
The “puzzle,” or question of what may make people vote someone in, has been tackled by scholars for decades and has remained unsettled in some respects. An individual decision in electing a leader can be shaped by the candidate’s abilities, motivations, and process transparency (Hobolt & Spoon, 2012). Politicians employ different voter motivation strategies to create confidence in their leadership among as many people as possible. The three most common voter motivation strategies include identifying things that can be improved, providing solutions to existing problems, and having a talented and diversified campaign team.
Voters want a leader who will positively change their lives or run the country well. Determine the issues that affect people’s lives and devise solutions. If you have a plan that appeals to voters, this will give them a cause to support you. Voters will be motivated to elect someone who is aware of the real nub of the problems that they are facing. If someone runs for municipal council, potential issues could include trash collection or graffiti in the park. Anybody aspiring to become a president must ensure that they address the problems that affect the majority (Connolly, 2022). If the latter understand their problems, people feel like a politician is one of their own. There are diverse ways of making people get to know that you understand their most challenging issues.
Most politicians tend to get representatives in every locality within the area they aspire to rule to obtain a list of things the people would want to improve. Upon learning about such issues, these politicians would be informed and on point once they interact with the voters. In areas where crimes such as robbery and women molesting are on the rise, it would give the aspirer mileage if he or she mentioned the tactics for curbing such issues. Provision of social amenities is critical in both rural and urban areas, thus a significant concern to anyone yearning to lead people (Lovett 2022). Such critical issues can motivate the voter if addressed in a promising manner.
In general, the likelihood that a person will vote increases with the level of personal contact between the voter mobilization campaign and the individual. Visiting the voters from door to door to give messages on how significant their vote is can also impact their turn up and their choice (Lovett, 2022). This strategy can change the voter perspectives on the electoral process as it helps them feel influential in electing who should improve their lifestyles. Additionally, Volunteers’ phone calls can be successful if they are casual and personal. People turn out to vote primarily due to intimate contact that makes them feel needed and wanted at the polls.
Identifying things that should be improved is critical to framing the solutions to the trending problems. It is a strategy that speaks volumes to a multitude and can exacerbate voter turnout. People would count it worth enough to queue and exercise their democratic right, confident that they would elect a responsible person. Therefore, the voter mobilization messaging should emphasize positive standards that demonstrate the grand expectations for the voting participation of all people regardless of age and ethnicity. Additionally, encouraging people to “be a voter” through messaging that focuses on communal identities is more effective at increasing turnout than merely asking them to vote.
References
Connolly, B. (2022). How to persuade people to vote for you.
Lovett, A. (2022). Voter Motivation. Journal of Ethics and Social Philosophy, 21(3).
Hobolt, S. B., & Spoon, J. J. (2012). Motivating the European voter: Parties, issues, and campaigns in European Parliament elections. European Journal of Political Research, 51(6), 701-727.
