Amy Eskind

Guest Columnist

Amy Eskind is a freelance journalist.

It’s always hard to motivate voters to make the effort for a primary. In the 2016 presidential primary, turnout in Tennessee was abysmal. Only a quarter of eligible voters in the state participated in any party primary.

There were a mere 377,222 votes cast on the Democratic side, which was less than half the number who turned out to vote for the Democratic ticket in the general election that year. Yet it’s the most important vote in a presidential election year. And this year’s race is pivotal.

It’s anyone’s guess whether Tennessee Democrats will show up in force for Super Tuesday. There may be lingering sentiment that the race is already decided, though nothing could be further from the truth. Sen. Bernie Sanders has earned 45 delegates, but the winner needs 1,991.

The race is wide open

In the 2016 presidential caucuses and primaries, 31 million Democrats participated. So far, in this season, we’ve heard from less than 1 million. No matter who wins in South Carolina, Tennessee votes can absolutely help sway this election.

Keep in mind, potential primary voter, low participation actually means each vote counts more. Sanders' Nevada Democratic caucus voters last week earned him almost half of the county convention delegates, and his tally was just 41,075 votes.

It’s true for primaries as well. Sanders and Buttigieg won the New Hampshire contest earlier in the month, earning 9 convention delegates each.

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Though the state has more than 1 million eligible voters, turnout was so low that it wasn’t necessary for a candidate to top 77,000 votes for the win. Every vote matters, even more so when turnout is low.

If you were one of the tens of millions of eligible voters who sat out the last presidential race, you may have said that your vote didn’t matter, you’re not political, or you are completely turned off by the campaigns.

In fact, a quarter of survey respondents said they didn’t vote in 2016 because they didn’t like the candidates or the issues, according to Pew Research Center. The antidote: actually state your druthers now, in the primary. Undecideds, force yourself to decide. Pick the candidate that you do want to support in the general election.

We can do much more to increase voter participation

Tennessee has allowed online voter registration and early voting, but it still requires registration 30 days before an election. That’s antiquated; many states now offer same-day voter registration. Automatic registration, say when you get your driver's license, has also been adopted in other states.

Further, restoration of rights for felons who have done their time is complicated. A parole officer or criminal court clerk has to submit a form to have rights restored – one form for each felony conviction. Some felons are altogether excluded, depending on the crime and the date it was committed.

If other states can create easier access for all voters and simple restoration of rights for felons after time served, Tennessee can too.

This is no ordinary year in politics, and having the right nominee in the November contest is up to primary voters. Each and every one of them.

Amy Eskind is a freelance journalist.