Low voter turnout?
Low voter turnout?
With such heated campaigns is it possible we could have less than a 50% voter turnout? Well, at the rate of ballot returns as of Tuesday, we are on track for a ballot return of below 40%. That seems i
With such heated campaigns is it possible we could have less than a 50% voter turnout? Well, at the rate of ballot returns as of Tuesday, we are on track for a ballot return of below 40%. That seems impossible in a General Election and most junkies I've talked with think we will have a huge surge these last seven days. But then, some of us expected a surge in Tuesday's mail after the weekend - and there was none. Right now, only 13% of ballots have been returned. At this time in the Primary Election, we had 15% and ended up with a total vote of 30% voter turnout. You do the math.
A week ago some of us thought maybe a 65% return and then I talked with some folks in the courthouse who thought 55% and then we tracked the numbers and it seems it might be lower. The actual numbers as of Tuesday are 13,527 ballots returned of 102,655 issued, or 13.2% return after two weeks of voting. A very good year was the 2004 General Election return at 86%.
Why? Maybe the mayor campaigns are turning people off. We know there is little in the county to turn people on. For instance, in the rural 3rd county council district, Brenner is unopposed for council and Kremen is easily in and those folks cannot vote in the other two council races. So, 1/6 of our voters have little to motivate them to mail in their ballots. Regarding the mayor's thing, perhaps people are still undecided. We all know we are still receiving political postcards every day. Or at least frequent voters are and most readers of this fit that group.
What affect would a low turnout have? Who would it benefit and who would it hurt? I don't know. The answer might be those who campaign the cleanest and on issues that people are concerned about. Maybe, like in primary elections, some candidates are able to get their supporters to vote - to turn out their supporters and get them to mail in those ballots. I do know the experienced campaign managers are also tracking these numbers closely even though they are not talking about them. And making decisions based on them.
A week ago some of us thought maybe a 65% return and then I talked with some folks in the courthouse who thought 55% and then we tracked the numbers and it seems it might be lower. The actual numbers as of Tuesday are 13,527 ballots returned of 102,655 issued, or 13.2% return after two weeks of voting. A very good year was the 2004 General Election return at 86%.
Why? Maybe the mayor campaigns are turning people off. We know there is little in the county to turn people on. For instance, in the rural 3rd county council district, Brenner is unopposed for council and Kremen is easily in and those folks cannot vote in the other two council races. So, 1/6 of our voters have little to motivate them to mail in their ballots. Regarding the mayor's thing, perhaps people are still undecided. We all know we are still receiving political postcards every day. Or at least frequent voters are and most readers of this fit that group.
What affect would a low turnout have? Who would it benefit and who would it hurt? I don't know. The answer might be those who campaign the cleanest and on issues that people are concerned about. Maybe, like in primary elections, some candidates are able to get their supporters to vote - to turn out their supporters and get them to mail in those ballots. I do know the experienced campaign managers are also tracking these numbers closely even though they are not talking about them. And making decisions based on them.
