Voting is at the heart of the democratic process. The voice of the people is supposed to be the final decision; however, the average voter turnout for midterm elections has been dwindling. This voter apathy can be attributed to excessive slander campaigns, wishy-washy candidate platforms, and by the design of the American Political System.
Negative campaign ads proliferate [in] the media during the campaign season. Rapacious mud slinging among candidates has tallied enormous price tags. The gross misuse of funds leads voters to distrust the abilities and financial wisdom of the candidates. The numerous slander ads end up overshadowing the important issues at hand. Voters only remember the vicious attacks and content in the negative ads that are cluttering television stations, newspapers, and internet sites. Negative campaigning erodes the character of the candidates to the point of choosing between the lesser of two evils. A good example of the mud slinging is the Texas governor's race of 2002. Tony Sanchez and Governor Rick Perry have spent a whopping 70 million dollars on the race; most has been spent on negative campaign ads. Yes, they did participate in a live debate on some issues at the beginning of the race, but the recent ads have caused the public to forget important issues. Instead, the voters are faced with only the negative aspects of the campaign. The candidates are not disclosing their objective when and if they are elected to office. This is what is important. [good] The general population has been making it clear that they detest the ads and feel as though they are put in a tough spot when they go to the polls. This frustration leads people not to cast their votes and in turn, not have their voices heard.
Candidates start early to get their name[s] out in the limelight. Campaigning is a long and difficult road for political candidates. Primary elections are the first chance for candidates to get their platform out into public.