Since the election of George Washington as the first President in 1789, the United States has held local, state and federal elections every two years. It is an amazing accomplishment. Whether the US is a true democracy today however, rests on what your definition of democracy is. In one example of a broken system, voter turnout is abysmal in America, especially in local elections. Below is an extract from article by Cole Lauterbach and Greg Bishop for Illinois News Network in which a State Senator is proposing a radically simple solution to boost voter turnout.

An Illinois lawmaker is proposing a $25 tax credit for voters. Freshman state Senator Ram Villivalam, D-Chicago, has introduced legislation that would give a $25 state tax credit for anyone who votes in a general election. He says it’s been tried elsewhere and found to increase turnout.

Read the original post here and tell us what you think in the comment section below. As covered on Democracy Chronicles, there are many unexpected factors that research suggests affect US voter turnout. These now include even things like cigarette smoking, wind speed, rain, bad weather forecasts, boredom, and delayed onset adulthood. This type of research is highlighted in the Democracy Chronicles Election Science archives as well as other important research in political science as it relates to democracy, the ultimate invention in political science.