n 55% in modern day elections (Lewis). The result of low voter turnout reveals a negative attitude towards politics from America's citizens. The most effective discouragement to voting is exit polls that predict the outcome of an election or in modern terms "electronic forecasting." Exit polling on or before Election Day has become the predominant method used by mass media in American politics for predicting outcomes of elections (Bishop). In most recent elections exit polling has grown into an even more complex mass survey medium with institutions such as Voter Research and Surveys of New York who provide polling results for massive television networks like ABC, CBS, and CNN. In addition to TV networks, many television affiliates, newspapers, and newsmagazines also use this polled data to inform the public. Since exit polls predict the winners of elections, vast numbers of citizens don't even bother to vote because they already know who's going to win and that their vote wouldn't make a difference (Bishop).Another reason that causes low voter turnout is news media coverage that broadcast negative campaign tactics politicians and their parties use to attack to opposing candidate or party. According to Laurence I. Barrett of Time magazine, “presidential candidates are sliding on their word of not using negative campaign tactics; in fact, negative advertising is becoming trendier among those running for election.” Negative campaigning in the news media is perceived by most as boxing ring where candidates can put on gloves and knock each others ideas or beliefs down. The most affecting aspect of negative campaign to the public is that candidates and parties only point out the opposing side's flaws to avoid the issue at hand which often occurs in debates. Since negative campaigning causes a great deal of arguing between candidate, a great percentage of the public tends to separate themselves from the political process of vot...
