Oregon: Why voters don't vote

From Russell Sadler in BlueOregon:
It is supposed to be an old political joke in election-ridden Oregon: “What if they held an election and no one came? ...Both the Republican and Democratic parties are losing support. Neither represent a majority of voters any longer. About 38 percent are registered Democrats, 34 percent registered Republicans. Everyone else is registered independent or to a “minor” party. To maintain their dwindling control over the political system both Republicans and Democrats use redistricting to pack legislative districts with predictable voters while diluting independent voters by spreading them out in districts where they are impotent minorities, thus disenfranchising unpredictable independents. No wonder some voters get the impression their votes don’t count... [more]