George,

The reason people don't vote in local city council elections is because they don't see any reason to because the election of the democratic candidate seems to be a foregone conclusion.

This is partially because the Republicans are so out of touch with the Charlottesville electorate that nobody takes them seriously and they haven't had a strong, attractive candidate since Darden Towe. The other reason is because many citizens feel shut out of the election process because the actual election of the councilors takes place during the nominating process by a small number of political activists. The actual election is a sham, farce, rubber stamping of the democratic nominees.

I have been tempted not to vote many times because I didn't feel it would make any difference. During the last election for the first time in a long time because of Democrats for change, I felt my vote and participation in the election process actually meant something but only because I got involved before and during the nominating convention.

If you want more people to vote you have to provide them with some meaningful choices: not candidates handpicked by a group of political insiders. Yes, you will get more people to vote if you move the elections to November but not because they care. It will be because they are already there to vote in state and national elections.

Downing Smith (electronic mail, October 17, 2001).