Houston Municipal Election Turnout: A Recent History according to harrisvotes.com
2015 General: 27.41%
2013 Runoff: 3.80%*
2013 General: 18.32%
2011 Runoff: 6.09%**
2011 General: 13.20%
2009 Runoff: 16.57%
2009 General: 19.12%
2007 Runoff: 2.70%*
2007 General: 13.52%
2005 Runoff: 3.98%*
2005 General: 19.60%
2003 Runoff: 22.69%
2003 General: 31.21%
Conclusions:
1. Houston, I love you, but you suck at voting.
2. These inevitable runoff elections cost Harris County the same amount of money, regardless of the turnout. It's not worth that much money if so few people bother to vote. With so many candidates for open Mayoral and Council seats, Houston is ideal for switching to some form of Instant Runoff Voting or Approval Voting. If I like Turner, Bell, and (believe it or not) Costello, why should I be limited to voting for just one?
* Yes, really. In 2013, there were five Council races with runoffs, including two at-large. The races for seats in Districts A, D, & I drew anywhere from 5.20% to 7.64%. In 2005 and 2007, there were two district runoffs and one at-large.
** This one particularly hurt, because Jolanda Jones lost her at-large seat to Jack Christie by a narrow margin. She had won her first race by a 2-1 margin in the runoff.
2015 General: 27.41%
2013 Runoff: 3.80%*
2013 General: 18.32%
2011 Runoff: 6.09%**
2011 General: 13.20%
2009 Runoff: 16.57%
2009 General: 19.12%
2007 Runoff: 2.70%*
2007 General: 13.52%
2005 Runoff: 3.98%*
2005 General: 19.60%
2003 Runoff: 22.69%
2003 General: 31.21%
Conclusions:
1. Houston, I love you, but you suck at voting.
2. These inevitable runoff elections cost Harris County the same amount of money, regardless of the turnout. It's not worth that much money if so few people bother to vote. With so many candidates for open Mayoral and Council seats, Houston is ideal for switching to some form of Instant Runoff Voting or Approval Voting. If I like Turner, Bell, and (believe it or not) Costello, why should I be limited to voting for just one?
* Yes, really. In 2013, there were five Council races with runoffs, including two at-large. The races for seats in Districts A, D, & I drew anywhere from 5.20% to 7.64%. In 2005 and 2007, there were two district runoffs and one at-large.
** This one particularly hurt, because Jolanda Jones lost her at-large seat to Jack Christie by a narrow margin. She had won her first race by a 2-1 margin in the runoff.
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