Explanations for falling turnout usually start with process: registration friction, polling hours, ballot design. Those matter at the margin.
The larger pattern in recent elections is that participation falls where voters see little practical difference between the available options, regardless of how easy voting is.
Younger cohorts are the clearest case. Their participation rises sharply for specific contested issues and falls for routine contests.
Reforms that make voting easier are worth doing. They are not a substitute for parties offering distinguishable choices.
