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Councilors explore Saturday election to increase turnout

Date: 3/20/2012

March 21, 2012

By G. Michael Dobbs

news@thereminder.com

SPRINGFIELD — City Councilor John Lysak has proposed seeking a change in the city's charter that would allow municipal elections to be conducted on Saturdays and although Elections Commissioner Gladys Oyola said it would make the elections easier to stage, there is not guarantee more citizens would turn out to vote.

Lysak convened a meeting of his General Government Committee on March 15 and discussed ways the city could boost voter turnout. Councilors Melvin Edwards and Zaida Luna met with Lysak and Oyola.

Oyola said that when there are high-ranking races, such as for mayor, more people vote. Otherwise she said the turnout, especially for a primary election is "low."

Oyola and her staff have worked to increase voter registration by appearing at various events around the city, often on their own time, to register people. She is currently working with the City Library and with neighborhood councils to register more voters.

She would like to have a larger budget for advertising, as currently she receives $500 for marketing elections.

Lysak said he has been doing research about municipalities with Saturday elections and said, "It would make more sense to push it to Saturday."

Oyola said that most of the towns that have Saturday elections are much smaller than Springfield, but she did see benefits to it. She explained that most of the city's polling places are at schools and the elections are conducted on a school day. Even though state law allows a city or town to close a school for elections purposes, Oyola said her office would never do so.

"Would we like to have the schools free and clear? Absolutely," she said. "It would be a home run for us."

She said having Saturday elections would mean an easier recruitment of poll workers and setting up of voting apparatus.

"Whether it would affect voting [turnout], I don't know," Oyola said.

Schools are used because there is no rental cost to the city. Oyola said that the Greek Cultural Center, which has been mentioned as a polling place, would require a $700 fee for each election use. With private locations there are also issues surrounding handicapped accessibility, she added.

Lysak said that he is going to make inquiries on the appropriate changes to the city charter and to seek support from other councilors.



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