Stand Against Prejudice
American voters are under-educated on their local ballot measures. To combat this, local and state-wide governments need to increase funding in public relations to promote information concerning each election’s issues. It is often the national election that gets the highest amount of coverage. However, the decisions that affect voters the most are made on a local level.
In the 2020 presidential election, a projected 66.8% of eligible voters cast a ballot, the highest voter turnout since 1900. However, in most cities, less than 15% of eligible voters turn out to vote for mayor. These numbers are worsening in cities like Dallas, Texas, which only has about 6% voter turnout.
An important factor to consider is the median age of citizens in cities versus the median age of voters. The average age of a voter in the United States is 43 years old, whereas the median age of people who voted in mayoral elections in 2016 was 57 years old. Additionally, senior citizens (age 65+) are 7 times more likely to vote than other adults. This leads to the underrepresentation of the majority of citizens in our country. In part, this is due to the lack of publicity around smaller-scale elections even though they are still very important.
We urge elected officials to fight for widespread information to all citizens, whether it be spread through social media, government websites, or newsletters. Sign this petition to show your support.
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