After Election With 345 Municipal Offices Up For Grabs, Some Lake County Officials Are Calling For Consolidation.
By Steve Sadin
Lake County News-Sun.
APR 19, 2021
When Lake County voters cast ballots on April 6 to select people responsible for overseeing those charged with keeping their communities safe, educating their children, collecting their garbage, running their parks, and operating their libraries, only 14% of them cast ballots.
Five months earlier, 69.37% of the county’s registered voters voiced their choice for president of the United States, their United States senator, and member of the House of Representatives, all of whom have a far less direct impact on their daily lives.
Of the 345 offices elected by voters in different parts of Lake County, 98 were contested, 220 were uncontested and 27 had fewer candidates seeking the office than spots open on the respective board, according to county records.
“It’s discouraging people don’t come out to vote in local elections even though the people they elect have a direct impact on their day-to-day lives,” Sandy Hart, the Lake County Board chair, said. “They really impact people’s lives.”
