European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - October 27, 1988, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Thursday october 27, 1988 the stars and stripes Page 9 election turnout May be a washout 50% of voters Likely to stay Home analysts say Washington a the turnout in the presidential election is expected to be one of the lowest this Century continuing a trend of declining voter participation in a Mil Ion Hal prides itself a a Beacon of Western democracy say political analysts Public interest groups arc warning Hal Only 50 per cent or less of the eligible voters Wingo to the polls on nov. 8, about inc same As the record Low 49 percent turnout in the 1424 presidential election. The declining turnout Down from a record High 79 percent in 1896, puts the United states it inc Bottom of the voter participation list in the world s democratic systems. Belgium Heads the average voter participation list with 95 percent while the United slates ranks last with 53 percent and Ireland second to Tail at 62 per cent according to figures compiled by Frances Fox i Iven and Richard Cloward in their Book Why americans Don l  the turnout in inc last election the 1984 contest Between president Reagan and Democrat Waller f. Mondale was 53.3 percent of the voting age Popula Tion. Thai was the lowest Zumout since the 51.1 per cent who gave Harry Truman an upset Victory Over Republican Thomas Dewey in 194s. Most political scientists attribute inc Low american participation to inc requirement that voters Register Days or weeks before they cast their ballot. In contrast registration in West european democracies is generally automatic with the voter receiving a notice in the mail in fact american registration procedures arc by Anline compared with those that prevail in other de mocha Civ said i Ivan and Cloward Walter Dean Burnham. An expert on voter participation says that without the two step hurdle of registration and voting turnout would increase h to 10 percent. Figures show thai 87 percent of those who do Register go to inc polls on election Day. Other reasons cited Fay analysis for Low participation include inc declining Power of the political party sys tem the generally apolitical nature of the electorate and television which tends 10 focus on personalities rather than parties. As a result people Don l feel very represented and it s not very important for them to vote said bum the ballot blight puts the United states at the Bottom of the voter participation list in the world s democracies. Ham a professor of government at the University of Texas at Austin. Political parties in Europe Are far More to Angl no Ous than the democratic party or the Republican party in the United states making it easier for voters to Lake sides and for the parties to target constituents said g. Bingham Powell chairman of the school of Goven Srael Al inc University of Rochester. Many americans do not identify with either of the Bare knuckle politics fists Fly in new York City As boxers wearing masks of the Republican and democratic presiden tial candidates Slage a pc a halloween skit for a company that Sells the masks. Dressed up As vice president George Rush is Mark Gordon life and Kay Cabin 1 Cov Michael Dukakis a  cafe runs against. Of Tofft Washington not Lenora b. Fulani inde pendent candidate for president says she will be Happy on nov. S if her Campaign has helped gov. Michael s. Dukakis lose by taking Black votes away from him. I Sec myself running against Bush and Dukakis both Fulani a 33-year-old psychologist from new York cily who is running in Mosi Stales As the new Alliance party candidate said in a recent interview. But i also Sec myself running against the two party system that is tremendously unresponsive to most american people and definitely to Blacks she added. The particular strategy is to use my candidacy to defeat Michael . Who ran for mayor of new Yolk cily in 1985 and governor of the state in 1986. Is ii first woman and the first Black to stand for president in All 50 slates and the District of Columbia. She cites that distinction which required More than 1 million signatures As an important achievement and likes to refer to herself As a major minor  Fulani said that As president she would raise taxes on Large corporations and cull he military budget in half. She also said the would establish a system to provide Rev or Low Cost health care to All citizens and work for a constitutional guarantee of housing for everybody. Two major pennies. Said Powell who studies the differ ence Between the . And european political systems. Scholars also note that among the non voters about 75 percent Are Low income americans Al a Low Educa Tion level who do nol feel represented by the existing system and arc generally less Likely to vote. Others believe the decline in voter participation stems from inc general attitude of Many americans. Nol voting is a reflection of the fact that we re relatively Content with life salad with our  said Michael Robinson a Georgetown University scholar. People Don l Sec any reason to vote and change  and Many analysis contend that the George Bush Michael Dukakis race has focused heavily on negative campaigning further alienating voters. If All you Sec every night is Dukakis bashing Bush or vice versa Why would you Rush out to vote for them they Don t address issues what s he Point said Curtis cans who Heads the non partisan Cam in in acc for the study of the american electorate. Other political scientists attribute the drop in voters to the multilevel system of local elections gubernatorial and stale legislature elections congressional elections and the presidential election. People arc baffled by the system. They Don l feel their Vole can make any difference to their children s school or the stale of the local roads Gam said. Turnout for local and congressional elections i about 20 percent to 30 percent lower than for presiden tial elections. There s an incredible degree of apolitical Ity in this country compared to Europe said Burnham. In fact people regard the Campaign As just another horse race. It comes along with the baseball season and foot bail seasons. People participate vicariously Al Home but Don t feel they need to go out and join  Campaign briefs message on grocery bags tells customers Don t vote Benicia Calif. A the owners of a Chain of discount stores arc sending a political message Home on their customers grocery bags. The message Don l vote. It Only encourages them Ned Roscoe and his father John arc pitching the anti voting message in an Effort to get their customers involved in Community affairs. Voting does t improve a situation. Hard work does adds inc Roscos message printed in Blue and Black Lext thai appears on thousands of paper sacks used in the family s 97 food & liquor stores m North pm California. When we did it. We knew the idea was going to be unpopular said Roscoe 28. Bui he contends it is meant to encourage people to think for themselves. We just believe in greater personal  Boston Herald reverses decision to endorse Dukakis Boston a the Boston Herald endorsed the presidential Campaign of Republican George Bush in its wednesday editions saying that its endorsement of Massachusetts gov Michael Dukakis during the new Hampshire primary was a mistake. In a front Page editorial the Herald cited what in called the vice president s leadership As the deciding reason. The newspaper said it did not oppose Dukakis 1986re-election Campaign for governor and backed his nomination for president beginning with the new Hampshire primary in february. To i Host Bath within and outside the state we urge Don t make our mistake the Herald said. Bookmakers in London list Bush As hot favorite London a vice president George Bush is a favorite to win the nov. S presidential election at very Short Odds of i-7, bookmakers said tuesday. The figures mean a bettor has to pay s7 to win $1,plus Bis stake Back. The Odds on Massachusetts gov. Michael Dukakis winning were 7-2, meaning $7, plus he resumed stake would be won for a s2  Odds have not changed in the past week said Sandy Wilkinson a spokesman for the Ladbroke bookmakers