The East Lansing City Council primaries were held last week and only 9.33 percent of registered East Lansing voters showed up.
Needless to say, there weren’t a whole lot of MSU students at the polls. Voter apathy is strong, especially among students, but there are things that could be done to combat the problem.
Among the eight candidates were two recent MSU graduates who believe a later primary date would have helped their chances at the polls. Matt Mitroka, a geography graduate student, received 2 percent of the overall vote while 2001 graduate Shane Waller got 3 percent. If the council primary was moved to September, once all the students have returned, some believe voter turnout would increase.
While there is no guarantee of higher turnout with a later election, it is very likely a few students returning for fall classes might decide to cast their votes. Those permanent residents spending their summer vacation away from town might also have the chance to vote. Even a handful more voters could help a pathetic 9.33 percent. Anything that could be done to increase that number would certainly be worth a try.
Though many students may not care to vote for city council, the city owes them the opportunity. Through the U.S. Census, East Lansing benefits from the approximately 43,000 students who spend a greater part of the year in town.
The city needs to improve publicity, letting people know an election is coming up, because as it turns out, not everybody reads The State News. The difference between an August and September primary is very little, time-wise, and would not hurt the campaigns of council candidates.
Most politicians won’t admit they want to keep students away from the polls. But their actions, namely former state Sen. Mike Rogers’ Senate bill 306, speak volumes. Rogers’ bill requires voters’ driver’s license addresses to match the district they are registered to vote in.
East Lansing City Council should work to change the primary date for the next election, and also make an effort to promote the campaign with literature and public service announcements.
