Fewer than 30% turnout expected for today's election

[ac]

http://news.jacksonville.com/justin/2008/08/26/voters-slow-to-turn-out-but-voting-going-smoothly/

Election supervisors around Northeast Florida said polls opened on time and voters were not experiencing problems during what is anticipated to be a fairly low turnout day.

Clay County Supervisor of Elections Barbara Kirkman admitted she was being optimistic in predicting a 30 percent turnout but noted the county has some high interest contests, including the race for sheriff.

She said Tropical Storm Fay slowed down early voting, cutting the number of early votes to about half the usual count. Other supervisors predicted between 24 percent and 30 percent turnout, with Duval County Supervisor of Elections Jerry Holland guessing the at the low end.

“It looks light,” he said.

How can anything be improved when less than a third of registered voters bother to show up for local elections?

[Jimmy]

I've been out there today.  I think 24% is being a bit optimistic.  If we break 20, I'll be surprised.  And all forms of early/absentee voting accounted for 6% already.

[BridgeTroll]

Wahoo... I voted... I am now a minority

[ac]

How can the turnout be improved? 

I guarantee that in October there will be the usual "get out the vote" movements for the presidential election.  Why does this not happen for local elections, which are just as (if not more right now) critical?

[BridgeTroll]

This cannot be good for Mr. Obama... same people who always vote... none of the newbies...

[ac]

I'm not so much concerned about the national election. I think the turnout locally in '04 was 80%.

I'm more concerned with the people who come in to organize events to get voters to the polls in those elections, but are glaringly missing for our local elections.  Moreso with the people who only vote in those "big" elections but neglect equally critical local ones.

What I'm asking is who can (or how can someone interested in doing so) work to get Jacksonville as enthusiastic about voting in local and state races which have a more direct effect on quality of life locally?

[jacksonvilleconfidential]

I Voted and do in every election.