The United States might regard itself as the symbol of democracy around the world, but its citizens are hardly model voters. America has among the lowest voter turnout of any democracy in the world based on participation in presidential and mid-term elections. Over the past few decades, the percentage of eligible Americans who vote has declined by twenty percent in both presidential and off-year elections. It is the largest and longest decline in the nation's history - today 25 million Americans who used to vote no longer do so.
             Feeling disillusioned with political leaders, being consumed with personal problems and believing your voice won't be heard are all factors that lead to voter apathy in America. But it's precisely that privilege - the right to vote - that is the tool Americans can use to make changes in the country and its leadership. And it's that privilege that so many Americans ignore.
             How will the polls go this year in the up-coming elections? Curtis Gans, head of CSAE and a leading expert on voter behavior, cautions that it is too early to talk about whether there will be a lower turnout in the 2000 polls, but he says the trend towards declining turnout continues. "There are factors that would argue for a lower turnout," he says. His organization has witnessed a steady erosion of interest by young people to participate, and their disinterest only increases as they grow older. Interest in the presidential race has been low and, despite presidential debates and a surge by challengers against the frontrunners, polls show that overall interest has not increased.
             A poll conducted by the Pew Center` for the People and the Press found that few Americans are paying close attention to the race. Only 16% of the public are following news about candidates very closely, while interest in the campaign has not meaningfully increased since July 1999 despite competitive
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