By Chris Moore and Amber Gardner
The race is close, and interest is high, but negative campaign tactics, lack of trust in politicians and a cynical media have left the public with Election fatigue.
Americans are craving more straight talk about the issues and more specifics on policy. Voter's are tired of candidates pointing fingers, personal attacks and double-speaking.
The decline in voter participation has eroded steadily since 1960. Voters ages 65 to 74 are the most likely to vote and younger voters between the ages of 18 to 20 are the least likely to turn out. Tom Patterson, Co-Director of the Vanishing Voter Project at Harvard University said younger voters have not found the inspiration to go to the polls.
America, which is viewed by some as the model of democracy for the world, ranks low in voter turnout for national elections with just 49 percent of eligible voters casting ballots compared to other democracies. The International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance, a research group based in Stockholm, said turnout in Belgium, Italy, Sweden, Israel and Denmark was about 85 percent; Spain and Austria about 80 percent; Germany and Taiwan about 75 percent; and France and Japan about 60 percent.
Utah has generally been a Republican slam-dunk. In fact Utah's five electoral votes haven't gone Democrat since Lyndon Johnson won them in 1964, and that trend is expected to continue in this year's election.
Something is likely to change on Nov. 7. It would sure be nice to know what. The last thing Americans want from politics is more uncertainty. One thing is certain, when the polls close, America will have chosen a new leader amidst all the questions of the Election 2000.
vanishingvoter.com ...all about being a voter in the United States and articles about this year's campaign.
www.fec.gov ...lots of statistics and information about registering to vote.
www.vote-smart.org ...look up your candidate's beliefs, national and state candidates, and their stances and major issues.
www.abcnews.go.com/sections/politics
www.cnn.com
www.chooseorlose.com