Voting

Yesterday was election day in a few places.  Where I live, we voted on only a single issue: for three local school board members.  Our district has 63,565 registered voters.  The highest vote among the 10 candidates was 3,415 votes: thus, the most successful candidate got the vote of about 5%, 1 of 20 or so registered voters in the school district.  6,982 (9%) actually voted, as each voter could vote for three.

My personal assessment – that only one of the three candidates I voted for won – is that any of the candidates on the ballot could have done a good job.  They were well qualified.  I hope they all remain active.

2019 was an ‘off-off-year’ for election.

One year from now, 2020, will be another story.  Yesterday there was a single issue on my ballot; next year, many.

As always, the end story will be voter turnout.  Conservatively, over one-third of the registered voters will not even vote, well informed or totally uninformed.

The strategists know exactly the demographics and the patterns and the techniques. They are well informed.