VOTE? WHO, ME? MAYBE FOR EXTRA CREDIT THERE'S NOBODY TO HATE, SO WHY CAST OUR BALLOTS?

Byline: JANE ROBISON

MORE Americans will vote in the presidential election Nov. 7 than at any other time in U.S. history in what one astute political observer - myself - is calling ``the most astounding turnout in the history of democracy.''

Based on my own highly random poll of people on the street, I predict 90 percent - maybe as high as 98 percent - of registered voters will show up on Election Day to cast their ballot and do their civic duty.

As a cynical journalist, I confess I wasn't prepared for the almost universal display of civic pride when I stopped people randomly and asked them if they're voting, and every single one said yes, always.

Pollsters say voter turnout in the March primaries was at its lowest point ever - about 22.9 percent of those old enough to vote did so.

What can account for this discrepancy? Can it be people in the San Fernando Valley are just more politically savvy, more in touch with their inner Thomas Jefferson?

I called on professional pollsters and political consultants who do this for a real living to put this in perspective for me.

Their answer: Nonvoters tend to lie about it.

``I suspect most were lying because it's socially unacceptable to say, I don't vote,'' said veteran political pollster Arnie Steinberg.

Of the 50 or so people I stopped, just one was courageous enough to say his motivation was extra credit in sociology class.

``I'm not too into it, really,'' said Andy Zar, a 20-year-old CSUN student majoring in biology. ``I'm just doing it for extra credit.''

Zar said he was leaning toward voting for Vice President Al Gore because Gore was on MTV, but he didn't have too much interest in him.

Joe Myers, also a 20-year-old CSUN student, said he was definitely going to vote in November. But he hasn't focused much attention on the presidential race or debates largely because neither Gore or Republican George W. Bush were saying much that affected his life.

``My issues are more free money to fund college so I don't have to take out as many loans,'' said Myers, a TV and film major.

If only everybody had a personal reason to vote like that, the turnout probably would be nearing 100 percent.

The trouble seems to be there are 100 reasons for voters to be disaffected and disinterested in politics today for every personal reason they might have to actually show up on Election Day.

Curtis Gans, director of the nonpartisan Committee for the Study of the American Electorate, sees complex forces at work that keep more and more people at home on Election Day:

``Cynicism, eroded trust in leadership, the lowest since the 1920s. More stressful lives, declining quality education and declining civic education. Declining newspaper readership, so declining interest in current events. Abandoning the draft. Shifts in values. More consumerism and libertarianism. Weakened political parties and integrated social structures, like churches, civic organizations. Increased targeted campaigning so fewer people get the message.''

In short, three decades of damping down the will to vote is keeping people away from the polls.

For the 18-25 age group, only a third are expected to vote. The rest will stay home.

``Clearly, the real problem is the issues. When Gore and Bush talk about Social Security, Medicare, tax breaks, they're not talking about things that attract young people,'' said Barbara O'Connor, a professor of communications at California State University, Sacramento, and director of the Institute of the Study of Politics.

The great motivator for the disaffected young would be a military draft or a global crisis that they can relate to, if that's possible.

The great motivator for those over 25 who don't register or don't vote if they do would be about the same thing - a crisis.

``That's the secret to high voter turnout - negative impulse,'' said Larry Levine, a political consultant who's been in the business 31 years and has his headquarters in the Valley.

People who don't normally go to the polls practically camp out in election years when they're voting against a candidate they hate or against an issue.

My negative impulse is to stay home this year.

After talking to professionals, interviewing people on the street, meeting the candidates and watching the two presidential debates, I'm convinced Joe and Jane Q. Public know what they're doing.

They're voting with their tush.

They've turned off, dropped out and stayed home because in the final analysis, they know it doesn't really matter whether they vote for the guy wearing the gray suit and red tie or the guy wearing the red tie and gray suit.

Whoever wins won't improve schools, won't save Social Security, won't make health care more affordable or doctors more available.

In short, politicians don't make any difference in our daily lives.

It turns out Jerry Brown was right. Less is more.

CAPTION(S):

drawing

Drawing: (color) no caption (GOP donkey, Democrat elephant in voting booth)

Patrick O'Connor/Daily News