Alexandria officials are considering moving the city’s local elections from May to November to help pump up dismal voter turnout, contrary to the recommendation of an advisory group assembled by the city last year.
“Essentially, every three years, after we have another election and after the turnout gets ever lower, there’s a discussion among the community about what we can do, and one of the most popular solutions is to move it to November,” Councilman Justin Wilson said.
Voter turnout for the city’s May elections — when City Council and School Board members are chosen every three years — dropped from 42 percent in 1976 to 19 percent in 2006.
By comparison, about 70 percent of the city’s registered voters turn out for November presidential elections.
Advocates of the move, including Wilson and Mayor William Euille, who prepared a joint memo on the issue last month, say moving the elections to coincide with the November state and federal cycle would give the maximum number of people a voice.
Residents of the west side of the city, who tend to be lower-income renters rather than the high-income homeowners found on the east side, are particularly under-represented in the May elections, Wilson said.
In June, a nine-member advisory committee recommended against moving the cycle.
“The committee considered the value of increased turnout, but heard from some residents the concerns that the consideration of local issues would suffer when joined at the November election with federal and state candidates and issues, and the increased turnout would be made up primarily of voters who were uninformed about local issues,” the report said.
“I guess, I prefer to think more of the voters,” Wilson said. “I think that our voters are sophisticated enough that they are going to look to the entire ballot and try to make educated decisions on every part.”
The committee also noted that local candidates could have trouble attracting campaign contributions and volunteers in the fall.
Virginia counties have always held their elections in November, and several cities have switched their cycles from May to November since the General Assembly allowed the move 10 years ago.
The city will hold a public hearing in April on whether to place an advisory referendum on the issue on the Nov. 4 ballot.
If the referendum were successful, legislation would be enacted that month and the City Council would consider whether to petition the General Assembly for other changes, such as staggered terms, which are also under consideration.
