Home > DeKalb.Talk > Archives > 2007 > May > 03
Thursday, May 3, 2007
Does election timing need guidance?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
School officials in DeKalb, Fulton and Henry counties are celebrating voters’ overwhelming approval last month of 1-cent-on-the-dollar sales tax extensions.
What they are not doing is publicizing how few residents actually voted to use sales taxes to upgrade school systems in the three counties, including those in the cities of Atlanta and Decatur. (“Critics say important votes should be held on typical election days rather than off-cycles,” AJC A1, April 30).
Fewer than 30,000 voters approved new levies that will cost taxpayers a combined $2.4 billion over five years.
They committed nearly 1.8 million people who live in the three counties — plus those who shop there — to more taxes.
In all, about 2 percent of those counties’ residents and 3 percent of their registered voters showed up at the polls to decide on extending the special purpose local option sales taxes.
Turnout was so low that several precincts in Fulton County were open for 12 hours without a single voter showing up. Dozens of other precincts counted fewer than 10 voters.
The cost to taxpayers of holding this low-show election? In Fulton alone, it was just under $1 million for the March election.
A bill was introduced this year in the state Legislature to require that referendums be held during primary or general elections; it did not pass.
What do you think about off-cycle elections?
Should all elections be held during November? Yes? No?
Is it sometimes necessary to hold elections at other times of the year? If so, should such elections be limited?
