Low voter turnout in Randall, Potter despite high-stakes election

AMARILLO, Texas (KVII) — Despite this year's May election being one of the most highly contested in Amarillo, with nearly a million dollars raised in the mayoral and city council races, voter turnout remains surprisingly low.

As of the final day of early voting, only 7 percent of registered voters in Randall County and 5 percent in Potter County had cast their ballots.

Election administrators are searching for reasons behind the low turnout. One factor may be the shortened early voting period.

"One thing I think has made a difference in this election is last week when early voting started, it started on a Tuesday, so we're actually one day less in the early voting period than we have been the last two May election cycles," says Randall County Elections Administrator Shannon Lackey.

"With people not knowing who they're gonna vote for, they're still trying to make that decision. Election day may be bigger than we expect," says Christy Benge, Potter County Elections Administrator.



https://abc7amarillo.com/news/local/low-voter-turnout-in-randall-potter-despite-high-stakes-election-amarillo-texas-shannon-lackey-christy-benge-aaron-faver-social-sciences-mayoral-city-council-elections