Only one in four voters bothered to cast ballots in Baltimore?s September primary, but turnout will only be worse for today?s general election, political observers predict.
“A lot of people have forgotten about it,” said Max Hilaire, chairman of the political science department at Morgan State University.
“Voters don?t think they need to go out to the general election because they already know who the winners will likely be.”
Apathy about the mayor?s race, in which Democrat Sheila Dixon is expected to win easily in a city where Democratsoutnumber Republicans 8-1, partially stems from residents? lack of knowledge about her Republican mayoral opponent, Elbert Henderson, Hilaire said.
A lack of divisive issues for the mayoral and City Council races has residents instead focused on the proposed taxes and slots proposals state lawmakers are debating at the General Assembly?s special session, said Richard Vatz, political science professor at Towson University.
“We have an anomaly where on one hand we have political outrage about what?s going on in Annapolis, but we don?t see that related to the city election,” Vatz said.
Today?s election will also cement a historic benchmark in Baltimore, where the number of black women holding top posts will grow to four: Dixon as mayor, Stephanie Rawlings-Blake as City Council president, Joan Pratt as comptroller and Patricia Jessamy as state?s attorney.
Black women are more likely to vote than black men, but precisely why remains unknown, said Matthew Crenson, political science professor at Johns Hopkins University.
“Overall, women in cities are doing better than men. These four black women are a sign of the times.”
Active voters in City
Democrats: 266,711
Republicans: 31,998
Unaffiliated: 35,039
Green: 15,065
