ARKANSAS, USA — After the primaries on March 5, we have a clearer picture of the key races heading into the general election in November
Another outcome of Tuesday's election was the low voter turnout rates in Arkansas.
According to data from the Secretary of State's website, the number of voters showing up to cast their ballots in the primaries has dropped significantly.
A University of Arkansas Fort Smith political science professor says there are many reasons why people aren't heading to the polls.
"The lack of competition so to speak. By that, we mean... well on both sides, we had candidates, it's as if the race was already decided so to speak coming into last night in terms of who the presumptive nominees will be," Dr. Williams Yamkam.
Dr. Yamkam also says young voters historically have the lowest turnout.
"Young voters don't feel as if they're heard as if they can make an impact. It's called ... political efficacy, just the feeling that your voice doesn't matter. They don't feel as though political leaders listen to them," he said.
Macey Wyler, a sophomore political science and journalism student, said that while she's seen the importance of students being registered and going out to vote, she believes her peers outside of her political science major may think there isn't a point in making their voices heard.
"Honestly, I think a lot of people, especially in primary elections, just don't really see the point of it. They kind of just look at presidential elections and don't really look at what local elections might mean for them," Wyler said.
"And they don't really look at how Supreme Court elections and local school board elections might affect the community that they live in. And especially students who don't —a lot of us don't— have kids yet, and don't really think about that kind of stuff. A lot of students just don't see the need and don't really understand how that might affect them in the future."
Another student said there aren't enough choices on the ballot to make the trip to the polls.
"We don't have a lot of choices on the ballot," Alex Caldwell said. "Typically, Democrats have done a really good job this year putting up candidates. So that's a really good sign. But this is seen as a red state, people feel like there's not an option. "
Dr. Yamkam says political efficacy and lack of options aren't the only reasons.
"Because the issues that are usually tackled in the political arena are issues that don't necessarily speak to the issues that young voters care about," he said.
Moving forward, Dr. Yamkam says raising awareness about how voter participation can impact people is key.
"Raise awareness about ... the actions or inactions can often have on voters in such a way that they may feel despondent about the political process. So it's a very complex issue that will take a collaborative effort," Dr. Yamkam said.
However, students say they just want fresh leadership options.
"I think that young voters want choices. And I think that's across the board, Republican, Democratic," Caldwell said. "Both parties are looking for new generations of leadership."
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