Even Year Elections

Local Government : A Hidden Problem and Potential Solution

Local government should be effective and efficient and deliver good services to all community residents and take good care of taxpayer funds and public resources -- but that doesn't always happen.

Good government starts with good elections -- but far too many local communities have awful elections.  Those elections might get an "A" if we were giving awards for effort, but in terms of how they help people govern their own cities and communities, they deserve an "F". Here's why. Very few of us participate in these contests. Only about a quarter of residents turn out to vote in the typical citywide contest. In many places turnout does not even break 10 percent. And those who do vote do not look at all like those who don’t vote. Voters are older, wealthier, and Whiter than the cities they live in.  A small and unrepresentative set of voters leads to a skewed local government that often fails to enact the policies its residents want.  In other words,  low, disproportionate turnout creates a broken incentive system for local governments, leading to the election of officials who fail to reflect their communities, local policies that fail to address the needs of Americans, and less than optimal use of the almost trillions local governments spend each year.

But a potential solution could change all of that. Most local elections for mayor, city council, and school boards are not held on the same day as federal elections for the president and Congress. Moving local elections to the same day as federal elections – a move which makes voting in local contests much easier - has the potential to broaden turnout and make government more responsive to the median resident.  This website evaluates the costs and benefits of moving local elections to the first Tuesday of November.