Californians more likely to vote are older, more likely to be anglo, have higher incomes and be homeowners. Download a 2-page overview of California’s Likely and Infrequent Voters or see the 2004 report from the Public Policy Institute of California that provides more detail on these demographic variables.
From this data, there is a popular – but incorrect! – assumption that younger, less educated and lower income Californians are apathetic about public issues. The experience of the Easy Voter Guide Project is that these community members are just as likely as anyone else to care deeply about what affects their family, neighborhood and community.
The Easy Voter Guide project is designed to help you address three main issues our
research identified among most nonvoters:1. They don't see the relationship between politics and their own lives.
You can help them make that connection. Let people start with their issues and then show how those issues are affected by the elected officials who represent them, and in turn the candidates and propositions on the ballot.
2. They perceive the voting process as being difficult, like taking a test.
We found many new voters equated voting to a trip to the DMV. You can easily change that mistaken perception and answer objections .
3. They do not get any social reinforcement about voting from their friends and family.
For example, the most important predictor of whether 18–30 year olds vote is if they grew up in a household with voters. But you can help provide a social context for a new voter by having someone they trust invite them to get involved. An issue discussion, voting workshop, online dialogue can all be good tools to connect with people.