Voter registration ended Tuesday for the Feb. 26 Democratic primary in Urbana. About 145,000 voters are registered countywide, about 21,000 of whom are registered in Urbana, according to Champaign County Clerk Gordy Hulten.
While the November elections rallied nearly 80,000 voters to the polls, Hulten said that based on prior local primaries, he expects 4,000 to 5,000 to vote in the April 9 election.
“There is very little awareness about the primary,” Hulten said. “That’s why there is such a low voter turnout for these elections.”
Among smaller elections, Urbana Mayor Laurel Prussing will vie for the Democratic seat against Les Stratton. The two will face Republican candidate Rex Bradfield in April.
Hulten said he usually sees surges in registration before high profile races such as the presidency, but local government doesn’t generate as much interest.
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Since the November elections, Hulten said fewer than 500 residents have registered countywide. The county clerk’s office is collecting absentee ballots, but Hulten said he has only received around 30 ballots so far.
Although the he posts informational material about how and where to vote on their website, Hulten said the county clerk’s office doesn’t have the funds to advertise voting in the community.
In an effort to increase local voting, Carletta Donaldson, deputy registrar, has volunteered her time for the last six years to register voters anywhere from the grocery store to the barbershop.
“That’s where the people are,” she said. “I can register people anywhere — all I need is a photo ID with an address.”
OD Wesley, a barber at Whip Hair Designs in Champaign, said Donaldson has been coming to their shop for about five years to set up a voter registration table and talk to customers.
“She gets more than a couple (to register) in a day,” he said. “(Voting) is important, and this is a good place for it. She tells people what they have to do, the rules and what allows them to vote.”
Living in a politically active household, Donaldson said she is astonished that local primaries get such low voter turnout.
“In order to have a voice to vote, you must be registered,” she said. “If you want to make changes, you start locally where your voice counts more. This is grassroots.”
Corinne can be reached at [email protected].
