Last week, Sioux Falls citizens went to the polls to vote; but apparently, not very many did so. The city clerk released the city turnout for last week’s city and school elections, and many were disappointed by the low turnout.

Out of Sioux Falls’ 105,470 registered voters, only 32,166 ballots were cast (around 30 percent of the total). According to KWSN, that is the lowest voter turnout in 25 years for the city of Sioux Falls.

Voters chose from six candidates : Jim Entenmen, Greg Jamison, Kenny Anderson, Jr. Mike Gunn, Paul Tenhaken and Jolene Loetscher. Tenhaken received 34 percent of the vote while Loetscher received 25 percent, beating out the other candidates through majority and being the only to remain. These two candidates will face each other in a runoff election on May 1, 2018.

But the question of low voter turnout still remains. What caused this years’ voter turnout to be lower than normal? Busy schedules and uninterested citizens could be the answers, but voter turnout in local elections is actually a widespread problem in the U.S.

“A 2013 study of 340 mayoral elections in 144 U.S. cities from 1996-2012 found that voter turnout in those cities averaged at 25.8 percent,”  said Fairvote. “In many cities, mayors have been elected with single-digit turnout.  For example, turnout in Dallas’ 1999 mayoral election was a mere 5 percent.”

So, if you were too busy or maybe just forgot to vote in the city elections here in Sioux Falls, head to the polls on May 1 to better represent the voices of Sioux Falls.