KUER
There’s a long history of separating “off-cycle” municipal elections from national races. But with traditionally low voter turnout, new research suggests local governments formed during these elections can be more responsive to special interest groups than they are to residents.
Presidential and Congressional elections are a big draw for voters. 2020 saw record-breaking numbers. This year Utah will hold smaller municipal elections throughout the state though, and those “off-cycle elections” don’t often get a ton of turnout.
According to a new study in the American Political Science Review, that could mean special interest groups hold more sway over those governments. Brigham Young University political scientist Adam Dynes was one of the paper’s co-authors, and joined KUER’s Caroline Ballard to talk about his findings.