Voting? No reason why not

Chances are good you won’t see gubernatorial candidates wearing hip outfits and crooning three-octave ballads in television ads leading up to the general election Nov. 5 — but maybe they should consider it. Comparing the total votes cast for contestants on the pop culture show “American Idol” during its summer run with the number of folks who cast a vote for president of the United States in 2000 shows why: More people voted on “Idol.”

But as election day approaches, more is at stake to Wisconsin voters than the next pop star. They will make choices in the following statewide races: governor, lieutenant governor, attorney general, secretary of state and state treasurer. Dane County voters will decide races for district attorney, county clerk, treasurer, sheriff, coroner, clerk of court and register of deeds.

The only national office at stake in Dane County is for the 2nd Congressional District spot, where Democratic incumbent Tammy Baldwin hopes to defend her seat against local Republican Ron Greer. Some Dane County voters will be choosing various state Senate and Assembly positions. (See information at side.)

With so much at stake, shouldn’t we expect most eligible voters to throw on a warm hat and head to the polls? Maybe not.

Kenneth Goldstein, associate professor of political science, says that despite Americans having more political education than people in other countries, voter turnout for a midterm general election usually averages only 35 to 37 percent — even less than the approximately 50 percent for a presidential election.

But don’t move to Canada yet. Goldstein also says that various factors can play a role in mobilizing what some call a generally apathetic public. “The more you reduce voter costs, the more at stake in an election and the more competitive the races, the more likely people are to turn out,” he says.

With the help of the Internet, anyone in Madison or Dane County can easily find information on where candidates stand, and where to point their snowmobiles on election day.