Low Plano voter turnout in the polls regarding council and school board elections.
Voters undoubtedly receive the greatest bang for their buck in municipal elections when deciding the topics that most significantly impact Plano people' everyday lives, from garbage collection and street repair to new schools.
But if history is any guide, only a small portion of Plano residents who are registered to vote will actually cast votes on May 4. Furthermore, studies reveal that people who vote frequently do not closely mirror the broader population of those of voting age.
In the four largest counties in North Texas, the turnout for municipal elections normally hovers around 10%. The Dallas-Fort Worth region saw almost eight times as many voters come out for the midterm elections in November.
According to political science professor Cal Jillson of Southern Methodist University, this could have a significant effect on the character of representation at the local government level. Low turnout also indicates that even if the numbers are tiny, a well-organized organization can have a bigger impact on the direction of the city, he added.
"Considering that those groups are welcome to attend, that is not a negative thing. They typically pay closer attention to [local politics] than the typical voter, according to Jillson. But in the end, I believe the answer is probably "no" if the question is "Is a single-digit, mid-teen [%] sort of turnout an adequate democratic foundation for local government?"
In its most recent election for the city council, Plano performed better than some of the adjacent cities. A little over 17% of eligible voters cast ballots in 2017 to choose the mayor and three council members. However, such amount of involvement is not typical. Between 5% and 6% of eligible voters cast ballots in three of the previous five elections for the city of Plano.
In 10 of America's 30 largest cities, the turnout for municipal elections was less than 15%, according to a 2016 study by Portland State University. Nearly a generation older than the median age of all eligible voters, more than half of voters in municipal elections in 50 major U.S. cities were 57 years of age or older.
Teens and Youth need to vote more this upcoming election. Not only to prevent a generational gap in policy making, but because our voice deserves the recognition that these statistics aren’t reflecting.
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