THE PUBLIC MIND: THE WORLD WON'T END IF YOU DON'T VOTE, BUT THE POLITICAL SYSTEM WILL BE A LITLE WORSE

To the Editor:

It occurs to me that the message we've been sending to nonvoters in the last two decades has been wrong. Certainly the message isn't working because we~'ve seen voter participation rates plummet in the '70s and '80s.

We've tried to tell the nonvoter that their vote counts, and we cite a dozen historic events where one vote did make a change. The nonvoter isn't moved. We've appealed to their sense of responsibility and the fact that democracy depends on citizen involvement. The nonvoter isn't moved. We've tried guilt. It doesn't work. It~'s time to be honest.

The truth is that if you don't vote on election day, the world will not come to an end, democracy won~'t collapse, and the U.S. Constitution won't be dumped into the trash can. The next day will dawn, the economy will continue on that day to produce goods and services, and the government will provide the services it is required to.

But there are some things that will happen because you didn't vote:

1. Politicians will know that no matter how badly they represent your views, you won~'t do what it takes to remove them from office. They will also know that a vote for a job ~~well done~~ won~'t come from you, no matter how far they stick their necks out.

2. You will increase ~just a little the power and influence that political special interest groups and PACs have over candidates because they know these groups can motivate their members to go to the polls.

3. You will give your `vote' to the side that wins in each race whether they represent your values and priorities or not.

4. Some members of the executive, legislative and judicial branch will take comfort in the fact that regardless of their violations of the public trust, they will probably be able to stay in their jobs because people are not very interested.

5. You will encourage passage of laws to restrict people~'s right not to vote. There is talk of moving election day to weekends, or adopting the Australian election system which fines citizens $100 per election in which they do not vote.

6. You will remove yourself just one more step from our political system and increase your own sense of powerlessness. It will become just a little harder for you to get involved when eventually there's an issue you really care about before a city council, the Legislature or the Congress.

7. You will encourage others, including your children, to join you as a nonvoter and to reinforce all the trends listed above.

No, the world won~'t come to an end if you don't vote on November 3rd. However your world, your state and your neighborhood won~'t be any better, and our political system will be just a little worse.

Roy Blunt

Missouri Secretary of State

Jefferson City