Morgantown City Council is considering a handful of changes to the city charter. (See Ben Conley’s reporting for full details.) We see all the proposals as net positives, and we don’t foresee much debate over them. The one amendment that seems to have council divided, however — and the one we believe most important — is the suggestion to move the city’s standalone election in line with the county-wide elections.
Currently, city council elections happen in April of odd years; the last city election was in 2023, and if the schedule stays the same, the next should be in 2025, with three of seven seats on the ballot.
We have frequently encouraged Morgantown to make the change to the county-wide elections (which include state and national offices) in even years. Standalone city elections receive disappointingly low voter turnout; Morgantown’s 2023 election had fewer than 1,700 participants — less than 13% of registered voters. In contrast, Star City and Westover moved their municipal elections to the county ballot this spring and saw a voter turnout of roughly 28%. In Star City, voter participation tripled, while Westover’s jumped from just over 100 voters to just under 800. As the saying goes, the proof is in the pudding.
It would require some finagling on the city’s part, and somewhere along the way, a group of councilors will have their term cut short from four years to three. (Elected officials can shorten their terms but not extend them.) That’s not ideal for those candidates, but moving to the county ballot is still a net positive. Not only would voter turnout be better, but putting the city election on the county’s ballot would save taxpayers roughly $40,000. It costs municipalities to hold an election, but they can join the county ballot for free. That frees up tens of thousands of dollars the city can dedicate to other important initiatives.
We understand the concern some council members have expressed that city elections may get caught up in the partisan rancor surrounding state and national races. It’s a valid worry. However, government works best when the citizenry is actively engaged in the democratic process — and that means showing up at the polls. The data clearly show people don’t show up for standalone municipal elections. They barely show up for the spring primaries, but the turnout is still better than for standalones. And in even years, people are tuned into politics more than they are at any other time, potentially putting the city election on more people’s radars.
Making the change would undeniably involve some growing pains. But it would be well worth it in the long run, and we encourage Morgantown City Council to pursue it.
