How Ted Nugent’s claim about voter turnout, suppression presents a false choice
JANUARY 26, 2022 – Put plainly, it’s possible to have more raw votes and voter suppression at the same time.
JANUARY 26, 2022 – Put plainly, it’s possible to have more raw votes and voter suppression at the same time.
Originally published by Politifact.
By Amy Sherman
… But turnout itself doesn’t tell us about why millions of Americans — nearly 80 million who were eligible in 2020 — didn’t vote. And Nugent’s statement ignores that we don’t yet know how turnout may be affected by recently enacted voting restrictions, or those under consideration by state lawmakers. State election laws aren’t the only factor that affect voter turnout.
Voter turnout can fluctuate significantly between states and between elections, said Kathleen Unger, president of VoteRiders, a national organization that helps voters navigate voter ID laws.
“Voter turnout in a particular election can be affected positively or negatively by many factors including the weather, the candidates and races on the ballot, the perceived closeness of the races on the ballot, the locations and accessibility of polling places, and also by election laws,” Unger said.
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