May 1, 2006
An Election Year Pop Quiz
By Chris Heagarty
RALEIGH – As the dust from Tuesday's election settles, can you count yourself among the few who did vote, or are you part of the majority who didn't make it to the polls?
Our research tells us that the No. 1 reason people don't vote is that they don't know enough about the candidates.
Last year, studies conducted by the N.C. Center for Voter Education revealed that more than twice the number of voters could identify Oprah Winfrey (91 percent) than our newest U.S. Senator Richard Burr (42 percent). But don't cry for Senator Burr just yet – more shocking was that more voters could tell you that last year's “American Idol” winner was Carrie Underwood (16 percent) than could name the state's attorney general, treasurer, auditor or commissioners of agriculture or labor (ranging from 2 to 10 percent).
Does this mean our elected leaders are wallflowers, hiding from public attention? Hardly. From their pictures in elevators to televised public service announcements, these officeholders work year round to stay in the public's eye. But in a world of increasing demands and distractions, average voters don't follow their campaigns as closely as they used to.
When the public is inattentive, whether through their own inaction or because they can't get reliable information about people and issues they are voting on, the door for trouble is opened. As we examine recent political scandals in Washington and Raleigh we should ask ourselves: would such offenses have taken place if elected officials thought we were paying attention?
Some people blame the news media – and to be fair it is well documented that the average newspaper and television coverage of state politics has declined over the years. But the media focuses their coverage on the topics that interest people. So just like the riddle of the chicken and the egg, can we say that lack of public interest is due to lack of media attention, or is there a lack of media attention due to a lack of public interest?
Take this quick quiz to see what you know about state government and politics.
Who is the Republican speaker pro tempore of the State House embroiled in a dispute with his own party: Richard Morgan, Richard Moore, or Roger Moore?
North Carolina's speaker of the House has been accused of questionable campaign fundraising practices. The speaker of the House is: Jim Black, Jack Black, or “Blackjack” Mulligan?
Eleven men and women just appeared on the state's primary ballot for Supreme Court and Court of Appeals. Name just one of them.
Most newspaper readers know who Richard Morgan and Jim Black are. But did I stump you on the last one? If so, don't feel too bad. As I traveled around the state leading up to this week's election, I would ask groups wherever I would go if they could name even half of our state Supreme Court justices. Far more folks knew which North Carolinians were left in this year's “American Idol” contest.
Yet, voters narrowed a field of 11 candidates down to six who will face each other in the general election. How did voters make their decisions?
Resources were available to voters wanting to learn more about judicial candidates. The official nonpartisan state voter guide can be found at ncvoterguide.org. The N.C. Center for Voter Education produced a radio interview series with the candidates and posted these discussions online. But far more people went to the Internet to learn about Kellie Pickler than Robin Hudson or Ann Marie Calabria.
The judges are the only statewide candidates on this year's ballot. And while these races may lack the political drama of a race for U.S. Senate, voters need to realize how important the courts are and how they impact the average citizen.
N.C. Supreme Court Justice Bob Edmunds says there are many reasons why voters should care about the work of the courts.
“The Supreme Court does important work, dealing with such things as the tobacco buyout, which involved hundreds of millions of dollars, redistricting cases, and death penalty appeals,” Edmunds notes. “The men and women on the Supreme Court make decisions that affect everybody.”
The general election is November 7. Will our turnout be higher in November? Those that would take an apathetic view about voting for our state judges ought to heed the ancient wisdom of Pericles: “Just because you do not take an interest in politics, does not mean politics will not take an interest in you.”
Chris Heagarty is the executive director of the N.C. Center for Voter Education, a Raleigh-based nonprofit and nonpartisan organization dedicated to improving the quality of elections in North Carolina.
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