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Voter turnout for the high-profile campaign for the City Council District 4 special election has been described as “large” and “pretty good.”
How large is “large” and how good is “pretty good”?
Well, about 34,000 votes were cast. That’s about half of the official District 4 voters — and that apparently constitutes a good turnout.
It is worth noting that nearly 5,000 ballots were returned as undeliverable. That’s a waste of resources. Lawmakers can stop that waste and encourage better voter turnout by enacting automatic voter registration (AVR).
In “My Life on the Road,” Gloria Steinem said, “Voting isn’t the most we can do, but it is the least. To have a democracy, you have to want one.”
The City Council race should strengthen legislators’ resolve to pass Senate Bill 412. The experience in other states shows that AVR can only strengthen our democracy.
Adriene Unpingco
Kapolei
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