starting at 6:00 p.m. eastern. then, a debate in the race for a in ohio between senatort democratic shared on brown and james ranaisy. you can watch both here on c-span. with 17 days before the election, make c-span your primary source for campaign 2018. announcer: the c-span bus is traveling across the country on our 50's capitol tour. looking forward to midterm elections. >> i usually don't have a strong over onon who takes midterms or presidential elections but this year i'm voting democratic, just because a lot of things that have been happening in the

republican party, just don't sit -- me from a from moral standpoint. i think a lot of people in the republican party disagree with their leaders but they're not coming out and saying so but party line to toe the party line and that's why i have distinctions. there are a lot of things i find parties and ioth usually tend to vote my -- conscience but this time i'm voting for the moral high ground. congressd like to see go to the democrats to see a change in values and views and while.t for a going toure if that's matter but i'd like to see a change. >> as a democrat, i'd like to party take control of congress. i think that if congress changes

inds and democrats are charge, we're going to have prounion,hat are more pro-environment and necessary check on erratic, unreliable white house. states, partm the tour.pan's 50's capitols >> election day getting ever closer, three weeks away. by jan leakily, of public affairs. general, the common thought is midterm elections are lower turnout. what are the reasons they give for not voting? guest: a lot of times they report they do not have information about the election. they do not care or do not want to have anything to do with politics. it is not worth their time or

effort to make to the polls on election day. host: look at the midterm turnouts as lower than the presidential election. has that always been the case and historically, have turnout levels in the united states been low? announcer: in terms of midterms --guest: in terms of midterms, yes there is a 20% difference. this is common. there is lotuses group issued into campaign -- less information and campaign excitement. historically, in presidential elections the turnout has not declined systematically but it tends to go up a little or down a little depending on the ,ampaign so issues of the day whether the economy is good or not, other factors influencing individuals decisions. >> based on the election of a new president and issues

surrounding the 2014 midterms, what is your sense looking at a three weeks from now how turnout will be this year? guest: most are expecting high turnout. the question is whether there might be a partisan difference in that turnout. their oftentimes is. of theporters presidential election of the winning party, those reporters stay home. they won in the previous election. they are either satisfied or disappointed by what happened. so they do not go that extra effort to make it to the polls in the midterms. turnout is typically higher for the opposing party. the out party whose activists and voters want to make a difference. is their data to show the effect of a couple things -- states where a voter id is required or states where there

are fewer polling places than historically had been or any data on the impact of hacking another -- tampering with election systems. host: we do not have anything systematic on tampering but on the voting laws, we are starting to collect a fair amount of evidence that suggests these morees, making it difficult whether that is closing precincts are changing precincts, having them further away from your home or slice of business, can have a negative effect on turnout. often have a negative effect on turnout. you are making it more difficult for people to turnout. it is easier to stay home. the interesting thing about photo id is often there is a counter mobilization effect. if it becomes a political issue. while the adoption of the law might increase turnout, if more

groups immobilize voters saying they are trying to take voters rights away. you will see people respond. host: where we compared to the rest of the world? guest: are turnout is generally lower but that has to do with the details about election laws come election districts and such. are different but not necessarily unique on that point. host: our guest is jan leighley lately, professor of government a --ublic affairs at american university. joining us to talk about the upcoming election, particularly white people do not vote, we would like to hear from you. if you never voted, here is the fomite to use. would love to hear from you and why you choose not to vote. the other binds are like this.

if you vote in some elections is if you vote always, that these numbers. 202-748-8000 202-748-8001 independents: 202-748-8002 . reach us on twitter. washington post had this story that shows their poll. the voters appear ready to turnout numbers to be 2014. three weeks before the critical midterm elections, voters are expressing significantly more interest in turning out where they were roger years ago. -- across is up and all democratic groups. those who say they are in favor for democrats in the house typically are younger and nonwhite voters underrepresented in these midterms. guest: young voters are

underrepresented. inn you compare voters presidential elections to midterms, if they are younger who lose their voting power because there cannot rate are lower than those of older adults. that has been a historical pattern and really changed. there is a bump up in younger turnout, in obama's first election but that was it. today, story from usa records 29 million hispanics eligible to vote. more than 29 million hispanics will be eligible in november's midterm elections walking -- welcoming a percent of voters. that could prove request democrats try to win one of both changes of congress. writesite -- alan gomez

overall increases is tempered by the fact hispanics have underperformed on election day compared with white and black voters according to analysis. we have calls waiting for jim lately. on our line for those who sometimes vote, alexandria virginia we hear from charles. welcome. caller: good morning. i vote every chance i can. i did 10 years in iraq and afghanistan as a civilian and i was not always able to get my absentee ballot back and forth across the atlantic in time, but other than that i am most always vote. one thing i would like to say is people do not realize the reason we vote tuesday in november is so the farmers can get their crops and at the end of the summer and voting on the weekends is a sin. i would like to see election they moved to april 15 to help focus the mind on the election.

grandfather was born in 1900 and he thought franklin roosevelt -- the moon and i -- voting was important. host: his idea of changing the election day makes interesting history on why it is the first state in november. guest: your historical details are excellent on that point, on the historical reasons we have done elections when we have. it has just been -- i believe there was a letter in the washington post proposing academics have proposed and started a group. mike alvarez. move to makeoup to election day a holiday. in many democracies come election day is either the

weekends or a holiday where people have off work have a which means it can make voting easier and if we want higher turnout, making it easier can make a difference. host: let's go to virginia. ace always votes. good morning. i always vote because i think that is one of the only things -- actually, voting and jury duty are one of the two the constitution should ask of us. i am a process service member. as the military, that was a huge response ability. i think it is beholden on us as citizens to do our duty as american citizens and that is to vote and serve on jury duty. when i hear people say they do not vote for whatever reason,

then why are you upset? host: there is not a constitutional obligation to vote but it is your sense there has been a civic duty to vote. held --s a wildly widely held belief in older individuals to shift from -- of thinking from voting as a duty. that is a key part of citizenship and its possibilities and being a member of a community among younger individuals. courtis not nearly the for that notion. it is a choice you make and it is a choice among a set of actions one might take were not take to try to influence politics or express your opinions. there was nothing especially unique or duty-bound about casting your vote. host: who votes now?

this is a look at the turnout by age in off year in elections going back from 1974 all the way .hrough 2010 in the older age group, 61-75. in off year election turnout, these seemed to be the same sort of float when you look at income brackets and the , we dodecline of turnout not have 2014 in their the we are seeking. that reflects the issues of the day whether we are in the second term of a presidential election and that emphasizes the effort political candidates put into getting people to vote because of issues at stake or control of the house at stake.

whatever the politics of it is. candidates, parties, independent groups. ask people if they need to vote. give them information and we see increases in turnout. host: did they have the upper hand in terms of enthusiasm? caller: they do because often there is a perception the policies and actions of the party in power over the previous two years have either threatens them or they stand in opposition to those actions. so they can step up and try to do something. host: we have set aside a line for those of you who never vote and we go to halley. the reason i do not vote is i do not trust the system. back in the days, they would not have technology we have today. i think it is a way they can get

information on the and i do not trust the system. host: how common is that response? guest: i do not know how common but ithe technology it is would say it is confusing and frustrating to figure out how to vote. .ach state is different some states spend money for local voting, alexa ministers who try to do their best to make it easy and safe secure for individuals to vote. it can be frustrating to know how that system is set up. host: we hear from dominic who is a regular voter. isler: i think this year more caller: this year is more important than any other your request we have congress and senate that wants to stop this

president. vote --ing democrats to begging democrats to vote republican. i had a party at my house, i think it was father's day. everybody who came over had a brand-new car. three years ago, every person who came was worried about losing their home. everything is going well. we have to keep the agenda moving. i am hoping everybody does the right thing and votes republican. host: thank you. , connecticut -- new fairfield, connecticut. caller: thank you for c-span and washington journal. i am calling from connecticut but i am registered to vote in manhattan.

candidate that is up for election because of the number of registered democrats in manhattan, it is almost futile to vote, so to speak. that is why i sometimes would not vote. , myurrent representative prediction is he is going to win the upcoming election by 75%. it is a lopsided situation. i would like to say, for those people interested in voter participation, i believe donald trump is going to increase voter participation to heights never seen before, and that is both pro and against him. for that, increasing voter participation, i think can. host: ok, your reaction. guest: i think it is certainly

true. one of the things donald trump has done in a distinctive way and what the caller suggested, he is giving individuals a choice on some policies, on a variety of important public policies, immigration, the economy and such. and he is making clear choices and taking distinctive stanza that in years past, presidential candidates have not offered or were not willing to make the claims or offer arguments he has made. so citizens do have a choice. host: you teach a number of students who are likely voting for the first time. what are you hearing from them? either some of them who will not vote? guest: american university has a highly engaged undergraduate student body and this year they are quite enthusiastic about getting out to vote. they are going to be there, at least feared host: -- at least

. host: a tweet from jason saying we should make voting automatic with drivers licenses. georgia had some success with this. more than half a million voters have been registered, including increased in the ranks of women and minorities. the wall street journal says this is a result of a change of the drivers license registration. new applicants, renewals, they are automatically registered to vote in less they opt out. has that become popular across the country? guest: it has been adopted by an increasing number of states. we have to remember, just automatic toake it be registered does not necessarily connected to the

candidates or issues in the campaign. the georgia case is an important one where stacey abrams, candidate for governor, has invested a lot of resources in door-to-door mobilization and getting the registered voters to cast a ballot. it is a two-step process, you have to have both in place. on the georgia story. this from the associated press. they write that in terms of reregistering, a woman tried to reregister and had about a month left before the election, her application is one of over 53,000 sitting on hold with the georgia secretary of state brian mp's off is, and -- brian ke office, in many people may not know that their voter registration has been held up. and that secretary of state is the candidate for governor --

the republican candidate for governor. guest: those on hold doesn't exactly match the identification provided. voter registration is notoriously a refills -- filled with errors. there are a lot of issues with requiring the exact match. host: sam in a, maryland, who always votes. caller: i am a second year law student. i always have voted. one of the things i studied in my undergrad degree was judicial elections, and how very few people participate. it begs the question of whether it is a democratic contest. same thing with the midterms. when you only have 40% or less of the eligible electorate turning out, is it really a democratic contest?

i think those who do not vote a really at -- really abdicating a civic duty, as other colors have alluded to. states willties and see a lot of that. judicial elections. guest: they are tough. you get a shift from elections, often driven by spending, and we don't know exactly who is doing the spending. individuals on a daily basis have there is little information in the media or in communities about the actions or decisions or effectiveness of judges. one might argue that an appointment system or vice a different set of judges that might be superior to low turnout elections, which might not represent the full body of potential voters. another caller who never votes, in illinois. good morning.

caller: good morning. how are you today? host: fine, thank you. caller: i have tried calling a different times to talk to you folks. first time getting through. i am a 60-year-old white male. all theted throughout years, shame on me. but because of everything i have seen going on throughout the past year, especially from the democratic seniors, i am totally behavior, andheir i feel i need to do my part in voicing my vote, and you can do it through the computer. you can do it in person. i urge everybody, please get out and vote. host: are you going to do it in person or online in danville?

caller: i did a better part of it online but i will be receiving paperwork. i am disabled, so i will be receiving paperwork at my home to be able to vote and then mail it back in. host: you pointed out that midterm elections are run by states, no president on the ballot. what is the status of absentee programs across the country? who does it best and who is lacking? guest: the absentee programs are widely supported and valued, and the state election officials really know how to manage those and it has been very effective. one of the challenges is getting the ballots back on time so that they are and will be counted. are doubtful that can happen, or don't trust the mail service, so an interesting

trend we are seeing is voters to drop absentee ballots off at election boxes or election locations rather than put them in the mail. once they drop them in the mailbox, they are not sure if they were -- they will arrive. that is the perception. alwayse have a tweet, i took my children into the booth with me and explained that by voting i was fulfilling one of the two requirements of citizenship, voting and jury duty. good morning. it is amazing to me how the same bad ideas get bandied about for improving elections. only answer, the essential answer to restore democracy, is to rename election day

procrastination day, and replace it with election season, as we have in maryland and i believe other states have peered -- have a. right now, election day is a three-hour window for most people. in philadelphia, the lines were three hours long. i can't believe it hasn't been challenged in court. thatase has been made basically democracy is a sham, in that a lot of people are deprived the opportunity to vote just because the window is so short. , one repeated suggestion about election day being a holiday, that would cost the economy billions of dollars. for a state to provide an election season costs millions of dollars. host: we will get a response. officials aren

individuals trying to do a lot with limited resources, and having to guess a lot at when all of the people are going to show up. we have some academic studies about how you can predict lines, so we can lessen the lines and make it easier for citizens to vote. when there are problems, one might think that we will try to solve them, but the problems are not as widespread as might appear. maryland has an extensive early voting season, one of the interesting implications of this is there used to be a single election day, and it was a community event, a social event, you interacted with other people, you knew the members of your community. one of the consequences of these convenient election reforms is now we vote at home with our absentee ballot and we drop it in the mail, and there is less of a connection to the local

community, which changes the nature of the experience. is an author about the quality in politics and turnout in the united states. we will get one more call from daniel in indiana, who does not vote. tell us why. caller: i grew as a conservative republican but never voted because it seemed like it didn't really matter. -- or twolast year's years ago, the presidency, and after this kavanaugh case and how everything has gone, i felt it was my duty, and a lot of friends who never voted are voting for the first time this year. we hear so much about how the democrats are going to out when outwin in the voting, but i'm not seeing it here.

i am seeing the republicans fired up. the other question is, why is it such a big issue to have a photo id to be able to vote? i don't understand that. it is not that hard to have appeared host: -- hard to have. host: you are in favor of that? caller: yes, in favor of having a voter id. we have that in indiana. host: thank you for your call. --st: one of the challenges you are right, for many people, it is something we already have, have obtained, so offering a photo id does not impose an additional cost. but for some individuals, people who do not drive, more rural residents, older individuals in their 70's, 80's, 90's, my not have the paperwork they need or official documentation. the cost, the effort they have

to go to to try to secure that information might not seem as easy as what you might expect. frustrated about standing in line on election day. imagine having to drive 30 miles to the county seat to sort out ,our record to get a photo id and to have do that and month in advance of election day, or two months or three months. true, for many people, photo id is part of modern life, not everyone. host: we had two colors who said they did not vote before and are voting for the first time. do you think we will see an appetite -- an uptick in first-time voters? guest: absolutely. we have choices and policies. it is about the politics. host: thank you for being with us this morning. >> with the midterm elections just days away, watch the competition for the control of

congress on c-span. see for yourself the candidates and debates from key house and senate races. make c-span your primary source for campaign 2018. bus is traveling across the country on our 50 capitals tour. we recently stopped in hartford, connecticut, and looking forward to the november midterm elections, we are asking folks which party should control congress and why. >> i'm an independent voter so i don't usually have a strong opinion about midterms or presidential elections, but this year i am basically voting in the craddick -- voting democratic, just because a lot of things have happened in the republican party and they don't sit well for me from a moral standpoint. i think a lot of people in the republican party disagree with

their leaders that are not saying so, just toeing the party line. that's where i have to draw some distinctions should there are -- distinctions. find are a lot of things i favorable in both parties, and i tend to vote my conscience, but this time i think that i am voting for who i think will have the moral high ground. >> i think that would like to see congress go to the democrats , just to see a change in values and views, and try that for a while. i am not sure if that will matter, but i would like to see a change. >> as a democrat, i would like to see my party take control of congress. i think if the congress changes hands and democrats are in charge, we will have policies more prounion, pro-life, pro-environment, and unnecessary check on an erratic and unreliable white house. states, partm the

of c-span's 50 capitals tour. >> today, a debate for a u.s. senate seat in washington state between senator maria cantwell and republican susan hutchinson. that is live at 6:00 p.m. eastern. betweenrace in ohio sherrod brown and republican congress meant james relay see. you can watch both here on c-span. before thes election, make c-span your primary source or campaign 2018 -- four campaign 2018. >> c-span's studentcam video competition is in full swing. this year's question, what does it mean to be american? denison teachers across the country have -- students and teachers across the country have

taken to social media. one tweet talked about students entering the competition. created my america collages to brainstorm for the competition. what does it mean to be american? scenes, breaking down the studentcam prompt. james lankfordor tweeted, today i visited with students as they work on their project for c-span's 2019 student documentary competition. this year, we're asking middle and high school students to produce a 5-6 minute documentary. we are awarding $100,000 in total cash prizes, and occluding a grand