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Home / Washington Business - July/August 2004 / President's Message: Elections Turn on Turnout |
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President's Message: Elections Turn on Turnout |
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Written On: July/August 2004 |
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Written By: By Don C. Brunell, AWB President |
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In the good old days, people registered and voted. For example, in 1952 when Ike was elected president and Arthur Langlie won a second term as Washington’s governor, 91 percent of eligible citizens in our state were registered and 80 percent of them voted.
Contrast that with 1996, when Bill Clinton and Gary Locke won. Only three-quarters of our eligible citizens were registered and only three quarters of them actually voted. That number has slipped again, and in 2002 only 70 percent registered and just over half of those people voted. In reality, that means that in 2002, only 35 percent of eligible state residents voted.
Even though our state’s population has grown four-fold since Eisenhower’s time, the percent of people registering and voting is steadily declining – despite the fact people can register online and plop their ballots in the mail rather than going to polling places.
It’s All About Turnout
Watching this trend, it is no wonder labor leaders are pushing their “labor-neighbor” program. It is deeply rooted and has worked for years even though union membership has been declining.
“Labor-neighbor” is simple. Union members encourage their family, friends and neighbors to register and vote. Most importantly, they make sure they “turnout” to vote.
As a kid growing up in Montana, I saw it work first hand. My father was treasurer of his union and the Democratic Party in Silver Bow County.
He had gotten involved in politics after deciding that he didn’t like the way the party was being run. He helped recruit about 50 people and ousted a healthy portion of the county’s Democrat precinct chairs. He realized that whoever controlled the precincts determined whom the party supported and financed.
They put together a voter registration campaign and a “get out the vote” effort that was the best I’ve seen. In the Brunell household, it was a family effort.
For example, during election time, one of my jobs was to go through the new telephone book and make sure that the phone numbers for known Democrats, union members, and our friends and their families were accurate. My mother checked them against the master list, and then retyped it with as many carbon copies as possible.
On Election Day, the poll watchers used those lists to call people who had not voted. Sometimes cars were dispatched to pick them up and drive them to the polls. My Dad joked, “Whether they got a ride home depended on how they voted!”
Turnout Determines Control of the Legislature
Voter turnout will determine who sits in the Oval Office and Washington’s Governor’s Mansion, and who controls Congress and our state Legislature. It is essential that employers encourage their families, friends and associates to register now and vote later this year.
AWB is making it easy. Just go to www.awb.org and register. In this issue of Washington Business you’ll find our voting record and legislative wrap-up so you, your family, friends and associates can judge for yourself who supported our efforts to create jobs, save businesses and provide economic opportunities.
In the next issue of our magazine, you’ll know who we endorse and why. It’s all about making informed choices.
Finally, none of this comes easily, and it requires you to pull out your checkbook and help the candidates who support employers. It requires you to pick up the phone and ask your grown children, family and friends to register and vote. It’s about telling people at the office or on the shop floor how important the elections are, because survey after survey shows that employers have influence with their workers. It is not telling them how to vote, but letting them know what issues are important to your business and their jobs so they can decide.
A Few Votes Determine Key Legislative Races
If you think a few votes here or there don’t make a difference, consider what happened in 2000 when the Bush-Gore race came down to a few hundred votes in Florida and the infamous “hanging chads.”
Then in 2002, eight House seats in the Washington Legislature were decided by 1,000 or fewer votes and six of the eight by fewer than 600. Republican Jack Cairnes won by a mere 92 votes of the 32,000 votes cast in Kent (47th District), and Democrat Debbie Wallace edged out Jim Dunn by 376 votes out of 29,000 cast in Vancouver (17th District). As a result, Democrats control the House by 52-46 margin.
In the Senate, Republicans have a 25-24 advantage and four of the 24 seats were decided by fewer than 1,300 votes. Republican Bob Oke beat Democrat Betty Ringlee by 343 votes with more than 41,000 votes cast.
Elections count! The winners will determine if taxes are increased, how workers’ comp is reformed, and if liability insurance laws are changed to reduce costs.
Making Washington more competitive won’t happen just because it is the right thing to do. Employers need to make it happen on Nov. 2.
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