Our work
The challenge
Our coalition was formed to address a serious national problem: lack of participation in elections. Over the last ten years, a smaller and smaller percentage of adults living in the Greater Cleveland area are registering to vote and visiting the polls on election day:
- In the last four general elections, at least 55% of the voting-age population did not vote. In some elections, the number was close to 70%.
- Barely 20% of the eligible voters vote in primaries —in 2002, over 85% stayed home.
The data from the Federal Elections Commission (scroll to the Voter Registration and Turnout heading) clearly shows this is a local problem, not a regional one. In the presidential election of 2000, for example, Ohio had the 11th-highest percentage of voting-age adults registered. The actual turnout on election day was lower (55.8%; 22nd nationally), but still above average.
The statistics for the nation's 23rd-largest county are much lower. According to the 2001 Supplementary Census Profile, Cuyahoga County had 1,026,048 citizens aged 18 or older; according to the Cuyahoga County Board of Elections, however, only 713,708 voters—less than 70%—are currently registered to vote.
Turnout statistics are alarming. According to the Ohio Secretary of State’s web site, turnout has been below the statewide average in three of the last four general elections. Turnout has never been higher than 64.1%, and it has been below 50% twice.
| Election | Cuyahoga County Registered Voters | Total Voters | County Participation | Statewide Participation |
| 2002 General | 861,113 | 395,050 | 45.9% | 42.2% |
| 2000 General | 1,010,764 | 586,914 | 58.1% | 63.6% |
| 1998 General | 889,418 | 433,649 | 48.8% | 49.8% |
| 1996 General | 904,258 | 580,030 | 64.1% | 67.8% |
Since only 70% of all eligible voters are registered, the actual percentage of eligible voters who went to the polls ranges from a high of 44.6% (in 1996) to a low of 31.9%.
The statistics for primary voting are even more disturbing: turnout has never reached 31%, and it fell below below 20% in 2002.
| Election | Cuyahoga County Registered Voters | Total Voters | County Participation | Statewide Participation |
| 2002 Primary | 850,905 | 158,966 | 18.7% | 19.4% |
| 2000 Primary | 973,114 | 300,948 | 30.9% | 34.9% |
| 1998 Primary | 855,826 | 257,370 | 30.1% | 28.4% |
| 1996 | 902,819 | 216,414 | 24.0% | 29.5% |
Factoring in the 70% registration rate, the percentage of the total voting-age population in the last four primaries ranges from a high of 21.4% to a low of 13.0%.
National statistics show that voter turnout in the 18-24 age segment has fallen by over 60% in the past 30 years. In the 1972 election (the first held after the 26th Amendment was ratified), 58.9% of potential voters in this age group were registered; 49.6% voted. By 1998, only 39.2% (a drop of almost one-third) were registered and only 16.6% voted.
Local statistics for this segment are not available, but the steep decrease in the number of adults voting suggests that young adult voting has declined much more sharply than the national average.
The goal of the Greater Cleveland Voter Registration Coalition is to reverse the county-wide decline in 2004. Specifically, we hope to:
- Identify the precincts with the lowest percentage of voter registration and turnout.
- Go into the neighborhoods—through community events and neighborhood walks—and try to register new voters.
- Give new voters the option to sign up for our update list, to ensure they do not forget when they need to vote.
- In the weeks prior to election, use targeted mail, e-mail and telemarketing to remind our new voters to vote.
- If voters have any concerns about whether they can reach the polls on election days, help them request an absentee ballot.
After testing these ideas in pilot projects, we are confident that they will work. With the right amount of volunteer effort, we believe we can make a significant difference in participation on Election Day