Among the many bills we have our eye on this legislative session is HB 2592, which would require counties and municipalities to hold local elections on the same day as a statewide election (such as a primary or general election).
We actually think this is a good idea, though we can see where it may cause some problems. The biggest issue is where the new law could run afoul of city charters.
For example, Morgantown’s charter says regular city elections “shall be held on the last Tuesday in April in each odd-numbered year.” Hence why city council elections are slated for April 27 of this year. But there are numerous advantages to holding city elections on statewide election days.
First, it’s cheaper. Elections cost money to run. But the most obvious extra expenditure is pay for poll workers. This is not to say we don’t need poll workers, because we do. They keep election day running smoothly. According to the West Virginia secretary of state website, poll workers are paid between $175 and $240 — varying by county and municipality — for attending a training seminar and for the day they work the polls. In Monongalia County, for the 2020 general election, poll workers were paid $50 for attending the training and $205 if they worked the polls. However, city-only elections may pay less.
Still, the fact remains that holding municipal elections separately incurs additional costs that could be saved by consolidating the number of election days.
Second, there will be better voter turnout. Municipal elections usually have paltry participation rates. According to several sources, including Governing.com, voter turnout for local elections hovers between 20% and 27%. About a quarter of voters show up for local elections only, but 62% of West Virginia voters showed up for the 2020 general election, which included the president, national representatives, state legislators, county commissioners and others on the ballot.
People turn out for the big elections. The ones preceded by months of television ads and candidate interviews and lawn signs. Big elections are well-publicized and voters feel like they have a stake in them. We wholeheartedly support making primary and general elections holidays, so people have fewer obstacles to exercising their civic right — and duty — to vote. And let’s be honest: Local elections are inconvenient. The stakes seem low; we just went through an (exhausting) election cycle; and now we have to show up for yet another one?
Municipal elections tend to happen under the radar, with little fanfare and with little care from residents. And yet, local elections are the ones that have the most direct impact on voters. City council is where decisions are made for local ordinances, infrastructure improvements, beautification projects and area-specific sales taxes. These are the things that affect our day-to-day life the most, but we don’t show up to decide who makes these decisions.
Voter participation is essential to a functioning democracy. Anything we can do to make voting more accessible and more convenient should be given serious consideration, and that includes combining local elections with statewide elections.
