It’s once again time for the Morgantown City Council election, but this year is a little different. For the first time, only half the council is up for election, and the winning candidates will fill their seats for four years instead of only two.
We’d like to remind everyone that even though candidates run by wards, the entire city votes. So although only the 1st, 3rd, 5th and 7th wards are on the ballot, everyone (including those in even-numbered wards) gets to vote for any candidate.
Morgantown City Council elections historically have very low voter turnout. In the last decade, less than 20% of Morgantown’s registered voters have determined who represents the city. In the last two municipal election cycles, it’s been less than 10%. And it’s not a registration problem — about 70% of eligible voters are registered. It’s a “getting people to show up at the polls” problem.
Perhaps it’s because council elections impact a smaller group of people, so fewer people pay attention; or because council elections don’t get 24/7 news coverage, the way national politics do; or because council elections are inconveniently timed; or because people don’t truly comprehend how much municipal government decisions affect them.
But city council elections are arguably one of the most important elections, if not the most important. City councils often decide the policies and projects that most directly impact residents. The hot-button issues in Morgantown this year are likely to be roads, first responders, the unhoused population and housing in general.
If you’d like to learn more about the candidates on the ballot, our reporter Ben Conley did a series of articles on each ward. You can find those in the March 12, March 19, March 26 and April 2 newspapers.
Early voting started this past Wednesday and will continue until April 22. For those who would like to vote early, you can do so at the Historic Train Depot at Hazel Ruby McQuain Park, 185 Garrett St.
Granted, that’s not the most convenient place, so you can hold off until Tuesday, April 25, to vote at a location more central to your voting precinct. Election Day polling places (and precincts) are: Mountaineer Mall (1); Morgantown High School auditorium lobby (2A, 2B); First Presbyterian Church (10); Morgantown Municipal Airport (13, 31); BOPARC Senior Center (16); Research Ridge Business Park (23); Suncrest United Methodist Church (26); and Sabraton Hill Baptist Church (30). Polls open at 6:30 a.m. and will close at 7:30 p.m.
Voting is not just a right — it’s a responsibility. Short of running for office ourselves, voting is how we exert the greatest influence on local governance. So when it comes time for elections, we all need to show up at the polls to make our voices heard.
