> On the general question of non-voting, it occurs to me that the U.S.
> system makes it particularly difficult to vote. You have to vote near
> your residence, and you have to vote on a work day (unlike a lot of
> other countries, which have weekend voting days). If you have a job that
> requires a long commute, as many people do, there isn't much time to
> vote early or late in the day. These facts tend to affect members of the
> working class more than the rich, who can easily arrange to vote any
> time they want.
This is one of the great myths about why most Americans don't vote. Along with the canard that non-voting Americans are "apathetic," this old wives tale about voting being too difficult ignores the real reasons why Americans don't vote. The chief reason, supported by polls and research, is that Americans are disaffected from the political process. That's pretty easy to understand when most politicians are rich people, when both parties are more alike than different, and where those with power are wealthy white men.
It's very easy to vote in the United States. The media is good about telling people when elections are being held. Polling locations are printed in the newspaper. Polling locations open early, before most people go to work, and stay open late. Most polling locations are located at schools, churches and community centers, where there is ample parking and access. The voting process is pretty efficient and streamlined. It's misguided to try and make the process any easier, because it is already easy enough as it is.
But the majority of Americans don't vote because they correctly see the political system as undemocratic, rigged against them, corrupt, and so on.
Chuck0