Katelynn Singleton, Campus Carrier editor-in-chief

With the announcement on Wednesday afternoon that the Georgia U.S. Senate election will go into a runoff, it’s clear that the voting process needs an upgrade. The U.S. stands alone in our use of the electoral college, primary elections, frequency of voting, the length of voter ballots, and reliance on state-run federal elections. These all work to getting to provide the U.S. with some of the lowest voting rates when compared to other countries. This also increases the threat of “voter fatigue,” which often results from voters feeling like their vote will not count or being too bothered by the perceived inconvenience of voting in-person. Introducing a ranked choice voting system, increasing the accessibility of absentee ballots and implementing same-day voter registration can best help to eliminate this fatigue, while still keeping elections secure.

Ranked choice voting reduces the chance of a runoff election. Through this system, voters would rank candidates in their order of preference: first, second, third and so on. Each candidate receives a point value based on the ranking they earn, and the winner is whoever receives the most points. The benefit to this is that voters are able to more accurately show their preferences when compared to traditional ballots. However, the system can be complicated, with multiples different models that can be used. Additionally, transferring from a traditional single-choice ballot to a multiple-choice one may be confusing to voters.

It was announced earlier this week in Cobb County, almost 1,000 absentee ballots that were requested had not been sent out yet. While the deadline was extended to allow the ballots to be received until November 14, absentee ballots have become a major point of contention between Democrats and Republicans. Georgia lawmakers passed new election laws last year that reduced the number of ballot drop boxes in counties around metro Atlanta, as well as restricted access by only allowing them to be accessible during specific hours and days. This creates a problem for voters who don’t have mobility or a strict work schedule. By increasing the number of drop boxes, voters who don’t have access to transportation can easily use them. Additionally, making the boxes available at all times, as they were during the 2020 election, will allow individuals who have strict schedules to access them.

According to the Brennan Center for Justice, almost a quarter of eligible voters are not registered to vote. This means that potential voters who were ready and eager to vote may show up to the poll on election day and be turned away. If Georgia were to implement same-day registration, these voters would be able to share their voice. There is strong evidence to support the claim that having same-day registration increases voter turnout.

Implementing these three strategies, or at least attempting to, is not likely to immediately fix the issue of voter fatigue. However it is important to take these into account if politicians want to increase voter turnout, especially in a runoff election.