Voter turnout increases with number of candidates

By Jimmy LaRoue

Published: May 5, 2008

Though voter turnout is generally light in off-year elections, Waynesboro’s registrar said the multiple candidates seeking seats on the City Council could increase turnout instead.
“Generally, the turnout for city elections is better when you have several candidates running and they do a good job of conveying what the issues are,” said Waynesboro Registrar Mary Alice Downs.
Over the last 10 years, turnout for city races has ranged between 20 and 31 percent.
Bob Roberts, a James Madison University political scientist, says off-year elections usually have low turnouts. There needs to be something in particular that makes people unhappy enough to drive them to the polls.
“Historically, they’ve been particularly low in a municipal election unless there’s been an issue that turns them out,” Roberts said. “There really has to be a controversy to stimulate people to come out in the May elections.”
He said he didn’t think the stormwater issue would be enough, for instance, to bring voters to the polls this year.
Of the six races residents will vote in, just two are contested – the Ward B and at-large City Council seats.
Depending on the outcome of those two contested races, the balance of power on the council could shift. No matter what, there will be at least one new council member.
With Mayor Tom Reynolds retiring from his position as the Ward B councilman, three challengers are vying for the spot – Bruce Allen, Greg Bruno and Chris Graham.
Frank Lucente, appointed as the at-large representative to the council more than three years ago, seeks to hold onto his seat and faces two challengers, DuBose Egleston Jr. and Jeremy Taylor.
Ward A Councilman Tim Williams, along with three School Board incumbents — Doug Norcross (Ward A), Jon Lovelady (Ward B) and Brian Edwards (at-large) – are running unopposed.
Downs said that with Wards B and D having the highest concentrations of population in the city, they usually have higher turnouts, but said growth in Ward C could mean increased turnout there.
In 2006, 31 percent, or 3,430, of the city’s registered voters turned out at the polls. With 11,568 registered voters in 2008 – nearly 1,000 more than in 2006 – the number of voters actually casting ballots could increase.
Roberts said there is another reason why May elections generally have low turnouts. Because many people forget there are elections in May, he said localities – such as Harrisonburg – have moved to November elections.
“People don’t really think there’s an election going on,” Roberts said. “Therefore, that tends to reduce turnout.”

Voter turnout
Previous Waynesboro City Council election turnouts
May 2006: 31 percent; 3,430 voters
May 2004: 22 percent; 2,349 voters
May 2002: 29 percent; 2,905 voters
May 2000: 20 percent; 2,039 voters
May 1998: 30 percent; 2,820 voters