Charter Amendment: November Municipal Elections
Another item that council will be putting forward to voters is regarding municipal elections being held in November.
Putting the municipal elections on the same ballot as all the other elections was a well-intentioned attempt to get more people to vote on municipal issues. Sure, more people theoretically will vote but does it make anything better?
I think you'll still end up with a significant number of undervotes because its so far down the ballot and November elections are partisan affairs. That means you have a significant number of people that will vote straight ticket and not stick around for the rest of the ballot.
At least when you have the May elections you have school board elections, also nonpartisan affairs, and you have a targeted group of people who at the very least care enough to vote on municipal elections.
Opponents to having the elections in November for the city have raised several other issues like run-offs being in December. I don't think that is really that big of a deal, I'm more concerned with the fact that people barely pay attention to municipal elections as it is. Putting it at the bottom of a crowded presidential or gubernatorial ballot damn sure ain't helping anything.
Whatever the language of the item ultimately says, I'm voting for May elections.
Putting the municipal elections on the same ballot as all the other elections was a well-intentioned attempt to get more people to vote on municipal issues. Sure, more people theoretically will vote but does it make anything better?
I think you'll still end up with a significant number of undervotes because its so far down the ballot and November elections are partisan affairs. That means you have a significant number of people that will vote straight ticket and not stick around for the rest of the ballot.
At least when you have the May elections you have school board elections, also nonpartisan affairs, and you have a targeted group of people who at the very least care enough to vote on municipal elections.
Opponents to having the elections in November for the city have raised several other issues like run-offs being in December. I don't think that is really that big of a deal, I'm more concerned with the fact that people barely pay attention to municipal elections as it is. Putting it at the bottom of a crowded presidential or gubernatorial ballot damn sure ain't helping anything.
Whatever the language of the item ultimately says, I'm voting for May elections.
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