People

If history is any indication, most of you probably won’t vote today. Here’s why you should

By Corey Inscoe
Davie Hinshaw dhinshaw@charlotteobserver.com

17.71 percent. 115,880 people.

That’s how many registered voters cast a ballot in Charlotte’s last mayoral election two years ago. Back in 2013, Democrat Patrick Cannon beat Republican Edwin Peacock by a little more than 6,000 votes. Then he got arrested and sent to jail on corruption charges.

So, if for no other reason than not electing a mayor that’s going to take bribes, doing some research and voting in today’s Charlotte election is important.

The polls are open from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Find your polling place here and learn more about what/who you’re voting for with this handy Observer voter guide. Charlotte voters will elect a new mayor, city council and school board.

Elections for mayor, city council and school board don’t have the sexiness factor of presidential elections. But the people you vote for today affect your everyday life more. They affect your roads, your kids’ (or future kids’) schools, development (a huge issue these days) and, heck, trash collection.

I could go on. But don’t just take my word for it. I reached out to a few local people who know way more about politics than I do and asked them why it’s important for Charlotteans — especially young people — to vote today:

Jim Morrill, Charlotte Observer political reporter: 

“Whether you’re a millennial or boomer, local government has a lot to say about your pocketbook, your commute and your neighborhood.

“If you want a say in your taxes (or your landlord’s) and your overall quality of life, go vote.”

Greg Lacour, author of Charlotte Magazine’s political blog Poking the Hornet’s Nest:

“For all the attention the mayor’s race has received, the real power in city government lies with the City Council. The council debates and passes the budget and renders the final votes on critical issues of land use, growth and development, transportation planning, and things like protections for LGBT citizens, which was such a huge issue in the spring and will come up again.

“In short, they’re the people who decide what kind of city we live in now and will live in for decades to come.”

Dr. Michael Bitzer, professor of politics and history at Catawba College:

“Consider that Millennials (those age 18-35) are nearly a third of the registered voters in Charlotte (31 percent). Also, consider the tremendous impact that local government has on citizens each and every day—from trash to public safety to education. But since we are seeing an older pool of voters who have already cast early ballots, and since this odd-year election is (in comparison to presidential elections) a low information contest, and with a likely turnout of anywhere from 15-20 percent overall, the impact that each vote can have is greater in these low turnout elections.

“But when you are younger, you probably don’t have the commitments or the attachments (kids, owning houses) that the services that local governments provide to entice you to show up to vote. But the decisions made by elected officials will have an impact on you eventually, whether you participate or not.”

https://twitter.com/CatawbaPolitics/status/661197433020538881

Do you care about Charlotte and want to have a say in what kind of city it will become? Take a few minutes, head to the polls today, and vote for the people who share your vision of Charlotte’s future.

Photo: Davie Hinshaw/Charlotte Observer

This story was originally published November 2, 2015 at 10:13 PM with the headline "If history is any indication, most of you probably won’t vote today. Here’s why you should."

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