BRENHAM COUNCILMEMBERS DECRY LACK OF TURNOUT IN ELECTION

  

Brenham City Councilmembers held a special meeting this (Tuesday) morning, where they made no secret of their disappointment in voter turnout for May’s city election.

The council canvassed the official results of the election at the meeting, to establish new four-year terms for Mayor Milton Tate, Ward 2 Councilmember Albert Wright, and new Ward 4 Councilmember Adonna Saunders.

City Secretary Jeana Bellinger said the official canvass shows there were 1,841 ballots cast in the election, roughly 19 percent of the 9,600 or so registered voters in the city.  She said this year’s election had better turnout than what has been seen in the past three elections, adding the city typically has 600 to 800 voters in a city election.

Despite the appeared increase in ballots cast, several councilmembers criticized the lack of turnout, with Councilmember Susan Cantey calling it “pitiful”.  City Manager James Fisher said it’s “really sad” that people don’t vote anymore.

The council will meet again Thursday afternoon at 1 p.m. at City Hall, to issue certificates of election and administer oaths of office to the newly elected and re-elected officials.

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2 Comments

  1. It’s like this in most towns. Not much change unless somebody really messes up and even then the opposition needs a good haul of voters. What do you expect too when only one Ward seat was contested? I understand the Mayor race was going on, but I also understand how a Mayor/City Manager type of government works. I did my part and voted in both elections.

  2. Agreed council, it is shameful. There is hardly a citizen who does not have a relative or ancestor that fought or died to preserve our right to vote. It was the pain and suffering of two world wars that motivated Americans to learn the facts and be involved with their governments, and I sometimes think it may take the very same to stop this apathy.
    One of the things some of us can do is demand our current state legislators enlist the state board of education to require civics in every grade level. Because that is also one of the factors that produced the civic minded citizens of yesteryear. It has slowly benn erased from education curriculum by state governments, and I fear it is not for the best of motives. Write or call your state representative today.

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