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Hawaii has long struggled with low voter turnout, but our Aug. 11 primary saw a record low turnout — 32.1%.

In past elections, we could have pointed to reforms the Legislature could make to improve citizen participation. But, as of 2022, we’ve exhausted most of our simple fix options.

It’s easier to vote in Hawaii today than ever. You can register to vote online. You can register in-person on the day of the election. And, when you apply for a driver’s license or state ID, you automatically complete a voter registration form.

Once you’re registered, you’ll automatically receive your ballot prior to each election. You can mail it back and track it online. If you forget to do it on time, you can drop it off. If you prefer to vote in-person, you can do that beginning 10 days before each election at a Voter Service Center.

Yes, some voters will still have trouble exercising their right to vote, and we can’t stop improving ballot access. But for most of us, voting in the primary was practically effortless.

Or, in my case, it would have been effortless.

This election, I contributed to our state’s abysmal voter turnout numbers, which forced me to do a bit of self-reflection and cast a wider net when considering how to turn those numbers around.

My excuse was that I was traveling, and I didn’t receive my mail-in ballot before I left. Initially, I thought that was a pretty legitimate reason, unless we further extend early voting or adopt an online voting system like Estonia’s, some of us will fall through the gaps.

But I’ve been talking about civic engagement long enough to know that everyone always thinks their excuses are uniquely good so I dug a little deeper.

One of the few proven methods of increasing voter turnout is compulsory voting. Over two dozen countries require their citizens to vote. Research shows that legally compelling people to vote increases turnout between 12% and 30% and is the only policy mechanism that can single-handedly push turnout above 90%.

Further, requiring people to vote has been shown to improve both civic understanding and cultural attitudes toward voting.

This is certainly something Hawaii should consider, especially because the benefits exist regardless of the penalty mechanism. Bolivia bars people from collecting their salaries for three months after the election if they don’t have proof that they voted. Australia’s fines are less than $100. Both countries boast an average turnout of over 80%.

Would compulsory voting have changed my voting behavior? Maybe. If I was going to lose three months of my salary, I certainly would have changed my travel plans. But that seems like much too draconian a punishment.

Instead of financial penalties, Hawaii could enforce mandatory voting with a requirement of a few hours of community service for those who do not participate. A voter would either need to contribute to their community by casting their vote or make up for it in a different way. It seems like a healthy option.

If our primaries were more competitive, would that have made a difference? Sure, it would have. But blaming our lack of competitiveness is too simplistic. My vote for president won’t have much impact on the outcome of the election thanks to our infuriating electoral college system, but voting on Nov. 5 still feels like the most important thing I’ll do this year.

Why? Because I’ll be part of something, whether or not my vote actually determines who wins. While penalties and competitiveness could have compelled me to vote, the one factor that is most likely to determine whether I vote is knowing that the people around me are voting too.

Since the 1960s, global turnout has declined by over 10%. Simultaneously, our sense of social connectedness has plummeted. In 2020, our turnout was higher than it had been in 20 years. We were also experiencing a collective trauma that connected us to each other. The two are connected.

Studies show that poor health negatively impacts voter turnout, in part, because it tends to shrink people’s social networks. People living with cancer are one of the only groups in which voting rates increased with a chronic health issue. People with cancer are also more likely to join support groups that create community and encourage advocacy.

We’re all more likely to vote if we know we’re doing it together.

So with a little over two months until the general election, we can fix our turnout problem if we strengthen our relationships with our neighbors, build new communities with people who share our interests, and make sure the people around us know that we intend to vote.

The Legislature has already made many of the changes needed to make voting easier. Now, it’s in our hands. For my part, I won’t make any more excuses. I will vote on Nov. 5. And I know I won’t be alone.