But drawing people to the polls requires more than a good horse race.

"You wince a little, because these decisions really do matter," said Patterson, director of BYU's Center for the Study of Elections and Democracy. "When you're talking about a small proportion of the electorate, the rank-and-file citizen who decides not to vote is placing a great deal of confidence and power in the hands of a few citizens, and they may not agree with what their fellow citizens are doing."

More bluntly, while voting is a right, it is also the responsibility of an American citizen, Jowers and BYU political science professor Richard Davis said. They said not voting literally threatens the future of the American democracy.

"A democracy is the ability of individuals to govern themselves rather than have some other individual or entity govern them," Davis said. "Voting is a responsibility in that if people check out of the process, it is no longer a democracy. It's back to a group, a subset of the whole, making decisions for the whole.

"It eventually hurts a democracy when a small group of people play the greatest role. That is where we are today."

It's expected to happen today in Salt Lake City, and also in Provo in primary races for three City Council seats. Two years ago, only 7.1 percent of registered Provoans voted in a City Council primary races.

Those who vote are generally white, better educated, more affluent, more partisan and more likely to vote again. Studies show voting is a habit — and one that pays off, giving those who vote more access to the government and to candidates.

"If 200-plus years of elections have taught us anything in this country, it's that politicians who are elected are truly responsive to voters," Patterson said.

It starts during the campaigns, when candidates spend big money to buy lists not only of registered voters, but of those who actually voted in previous elections. Provo City Councilman Steve Turley used such a list to target a mailer that hit mailboxes Friday.

"A survey was done in Provo during the last council races, and it found that nobody, absolutely nobody has any idea who their city elected official is," Turley campaign consultant Nathan Rathbun said. "You have to spend a lot of money just to make sure they know who you are."

Television and radio can improve a candidate's positives and reduce his or her negatives, Rathbun said, "but to turn voters, direct mail is critical."