We just had a very competitive primary election in two City Council districts.

But the turnout was pathetic.

Less than 10 percent of registered Democrats — i.e. those who were eligible to vote — went to the polls. The citywide turnout was similar, not that that’s much of a consolation.

Why is that?

It’s hard to know exactly.

Maybe part of the problem was that there was such a low-profile Democratic primary for mayor and no Republican primary.
Or maybe the extension of term limits really turned people off since they had already voted twice for two-term limits for city politicians.

But we suspect that the main reason is that most people just don’t know who their City Council member is or what he does. And maybe that’s the fault of each individual voter.

But we can’t just leave it at that. The City Council decides the budget and passes every local law that affects everything from sanitation to housing, to hospitals, parks and schools. Individual Council members bring neighborhood issues to the Council, a critical task in the nation’s largest city. They also fund local projects and initiatives. 

State legislators, all of whom will be up for election next fall, also allocate funds and make laws. 
As we’ve said numerous times before on this page, low voter turnout means less accountable politicians and less responsive government.

So, what’s to be done?

Should we require civic education in the schools so that young people grow up understanding and participating in city government?
Should local organizations make more of an effort to educate voters about the issues at stake?

If you’re reading this newspaper, you must care about your community. So, what do you think? E-mail us at norwoodnews@norwoodnews.org and we’ll publish your suggestions in our next issue.