Low turnout election signals problems that deserve bold solutions

With voter turnout lower than expected, Chicagoans need to find ways to increase democratic participation.

Mar 10, 2023

Even with nine candidates vying for the mayoral race Feb. 28, the vast majority of Chicagoans stayed home.

Turnout in last week’s primary was less than one third of eligible voters, even less than the already low turnout elections in 2019 and 2015, which clocked in at 35.5 percent and 34 percent, respectively.

The low turnout election surprised many poll watchers, who saw a surge in early voting as a possible indication that turnout on Election Day itself could be higher than previous years.

This latest low turnout election follows the abysmally low turnout primary last year, which saw just 21.7 percent of eligible voters casting a ballot.

That turnout was the second lowest primary turnout in 40 years, after the historically low 18 percent in 2014’s primary election.

With turnout trending in entirely the wrong direction, it’s worth looking at the reasons for the low turnout, and potential ways to improve turnout in upcoming elections.

First, municipal elections get less attention than more high-profile elections like the presidential contest.

This being the case, a campaign of raising awareness around the election would be one potential way of alleviating this problem.

Though unlikely to gain traction, another potential way to see higher turnout would be to consolidate the municipal elections with the congressional and gubernatorial elections, or with the presidential election cycle.

Older voters drove turnout in the election, as turnout among voters 35 and younger accounted for just 17 percent of the overall turnout, while those voters 65 and older accounted for 31.5 percent.

We’ve highlighted organizations like the Mikva Challenge working to engage young voters in action civics. We need more organizations like this to catch on with young people.

Another more radical way to engage students in voting would be to lower the voting age. Organizations like Vote16USA cite the potential for habit-forming at earlier ages as their number one reason for lowering the voting age to 16. The group, which has an Illinois chapter, has targeted municipal elections in cities around the country as potential stepping stones to a more national push for expanding the franchise.

Regarding primary elections, the potential to eliminate them entirely exists within a reform we’ve discussed in the Civic Update already, namely STAR voting. Since similar candidates do not split the vote in this electoral alternative, voters could bypass typically lower turnout primaries and have one consolidated election.

However we solve the issue of low turnout, our democracy can’t continue on life support. We need to find a way to see higher turnout on Election Day and increase voter participation.

Elections may be just one aspect of civic engagement, but they’re an important part of governance, and without voter participation, we don’t actually have a democracy at all.

The Round Up

Here are the stories that caught our eyes this week and what they mean for the weeks ahead.

Willie Wilson endorses Paul Vallas, SEIU endorses Brandon Johnson ahead of first mayoral runoff forum

Brandon Johnson and Paul Vallas picked up big endorsements just hours before the mayoral candidates squared off in their first debate after the Feb. 28 election.

Former mayoral candidate Willie Wilson, who got 10 percent of the vote on Election Day, endorsed Vallas. Wilson cited common goals around crime and taxes.

Brandon Johnson also got a huge boost, picking up the endorsement of SEIU Healthcare, with the local saying they would back up the endorsement with campaign money soon.

Nearly half of Chicago voters tapped a loser. Now they can sway the mayor’s race.

Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s ouster in the mayoral election commenced a five-week run to garner the 46 percent of voters who didn’t choose either Paul Vallas or Brandon Johnson in the Feb. 28 election.

Vallas’ 33 percent made him the largest vote-getter in the first round in the city’s mayoral election. But Vallas, who is white, may have to lean heavily on getting Black voters who agree with his tough on crime message, and on voters of color who don’t resonate with a progressive message.

Brandon Johnson, Vallas’ Black, left-leaning runoff opponent, won the second spot with 21 percent — and has a wildly different coalition to go with his views on crime and education.

Sparks fly in first Chicago mayoral runoff debate as candidates trade barbs

Chicago mayoral candidate Brandon Johnson attacked contender Paul Vallas in the first televised debate of the Chicago mayoral runoff Wednesday night, which could portend a contentious race to the finish in the second round of voting.

Johnson took at least two shots at the former CPS CEO in the first 10 minutes of the debate, attacking Vallas over a supporter and donor to his campaign, Citadel founder and key GOP donor Ken Griffin, as well as alleging Vallas wasn’t in favor of teaching Black history in public education.

For his part, Vallas alleged that Johnson wanted to tax the hotel industry and blamed Johnson in part for school shutdowns during the COVID-19 pandemic.