Though Louisiana Secretary of State Tom Schedler is urging residents to register to vote during the annual Voter Registration Week, he wants existing registered voters to head to the ballot box in bigger numbers than the current trend.

Schedler, talking on "Nathan & Bernie in the Morning," said 84 percent of eligible residents are registered to vote, "but the participation rate is very dismal."

Voter turnout usually depends on the issues involved and on the candidates in the race, Shedler said, but even that reasoning defies logic at times. Voter apathy plays a part, he said, but voters are also frustrated with politics at all levels.

Schedler also believes there are too many elections in Louisiana.

"We've got to do a better job. It's costing us millions of dollars we don't have, and it's totally unnecessary," Shedler said.

There are many tools available, such as the state's award-winning Geaux Vote smartphone application, that make it incredibly easy to register, but Schedler said it's still frustrating that voters are not showing up at the ballot box.

"How many times have you seen somebody with the ink on their finger taking a vote in the Middle East with the threat of their finger being removed after the vote," Schedler said, "and here in the United States we're having local elections with dismal returns, as far as ten percent voter turnout, 15 percent, and on a good day, you get 20-25 percent?"

To listen to the full interview with Schedler, click on the 'Play' button below.

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