As the 2024 election season gets underway in earnest this week with the start of early voting for the Hamilton County (and presidential) primary election, Democrats don’t have much to ponder at the ballot box.
On the ballot, the only contested Democratic primary is for the District 4 seat on the Hamilton County Board of Education. The district has been historically friendly to Democrats so it makes sense that there there is more than one candidate (Jackie Anderson Thomas and Missy Crutchfield).
To be sure, it is heartening to see Democrats squaring off against Republicans in the August county general election, but having more candidates face off in the primaries could boost voter interest and participation. And voter participation definitely needs to improve.
Let’s look at District 4. Voting numbers from the 2020 election cycle show that there were 17,417 registered voters in the district, and out of that number, a little more than 3,000 people cast a vote.
There are obviously variables in play that affect turnout: whether there is a presidential primary, for example. But voters can benefit when given a choice among candidates. Moreover, multiple candidates competing for votes can be helpful to the party in understanding what voters are looking for in their leaders.
We have to stop looking at facing off against Republicans as a “Hail Mary” just to field a Democrat in a race. This is not about checking a box. The more candidates that Democrats put on the primary ballot, the better the chances are of getting voters’ attention.
The Democratic Party is a diverse party, full of different points of view. That diversity should be showcased on the ballot — the primary ballot.
More candidates mean more turnout; that’s the focus.