MEMPHIS, Tenn. (localmemphis.com) – Local 24 News political analyst and commentator Otis Sanfordshares his point of view on early voting in the Memphis Municipal Elections.
Early voting in the Memphis municipal election ends in three days.And election day is next Thursday. But trends have already formed. And theydon’t spell good news for candidates, who are looking to young voters to helpthem to victory.
Total early voting numbers so far reveal that slightly fewerpeople are showing up this year, compared to the same period in the 2015 cityelection.
But an analysis by The Daily Memphian shows that voters who arecasting ballots are by far in two older age groups. For example, voters 66 to75 represent just 10% of the city’s voter base. But they account for 17% ofthose who have voted early. People over 75 represent only 8% of totalregistered voters. But they are voting at a 13% clip. Meanwhile, people age 26to 35 represent the city’s largest voting base at 21%. But just 1% of them havevoted early. I shudder to think what the percentage is for voters 18 to 25.
As someone who teaches at the University of Memphis, I am around18 to 22-year-olds every day. And while I talk about local politics regularly,very few students are interested in the election. So for candidates running formayor, city council, or positions in City Court depending on younger voters,you’ve got plenty of work to do. And that’s my point of view.