Who Votes in Local Elections?

Abstract

This chapter examines who votes in local elections and whether their low electoral turnout is problematic for the legitimacy of their local democracies. The evidence suggests that, for the overwhelming number of American municipalities, low turnout is not a problem because of the types of people who vote in local contests: educated homeowners who are long-term residents of their communities. These “homevoters” are not only more committed to their communities but are also more likely to be politically engaged and informed about local affairs. Although they tend to be more fiscally conservative than renters, they do not systematically differ in their opinions about all political and social issues. Whatever biases do exist as a result of low turnout in local elections are tilted toward policies that protect property values and suppress property taxes. However, given the difference in political knowledge and interest between voters and nonvoters, it is not clear that higher turnout would change this, largely because nonvoters would probably have less clearly informed preferences.

Democratizing Local Government: What Malaysia Can Learn From Mexico and India

“…However, democratizing local government poses its own set of challenges and problems. Even for established democratic countries like the United States, voter turnout in local elections can be as low as ten percent (Bernstein, 2019). Other issues include managing public expectations on the responsibilities of the local governments, dealing with participation inertia on the part of local residents, as well as concerns of the entrenched elite on the significance of local elections to the balance of power in a country used by a dominant ruling party or a strong executive.…”