Mail-in voting caused huge spike in school budget voting.

[ARPad95]

[link:https://www.syracuse.com/news/2020/06/mail-in-voting-caused-huge-spike-in-school-budget-voting-see-how-much-each-cny-districts-went-up.html|]

What happens when people don’t have to go to the polls to cast votes but can mail in the ballots?

A lot more people vote.

That’s what happened this week with the school budget votes in Central New York.

The number of people voting rose from nearly 100% to as much as 453%, according to a syracuse.com | The Post-Standard analysis of voting in 2019 compared to 2020.

On average, the number of people voting rose 263%.

Similar high turnout was reported across the state.

[leftieNanner]

1. And this is what scares Republicans

Make it easy for people to vote? And then they do!

[ARPad95]

2. And I think all school budgets in Central New York were overwhelmingly passed! /nt

[no_hypocrisy]

3. IMO, this is a big deal.

I'm a poll worker in NJ. The bare minimal number of registered voters who show up for school budgets always amazes me. It's a proverbial handful.

Where I live, school budgets make up the majority of the annual municipal taxes. It's not only the budget for all the public schools. It's the salaries for all the teachers, assistants, principals, administrators, secretaries, and their health insurance. Not to mention funding the pensions and health insurance of retired personnel.

While I lean toward passing the Budget, there are those who want budget cuts. But they don't even show up to vote. In a town with 12,000 registered voters, you see maybe 2,000 votes for/against the Budget.

As a believer in democracy, elections only have significance with participation by the citizens. If they vote more by mail, then make it part of the System and hire independent workers to read each vote. Maybe one Democrat and one Republican for each ballot. Whatever it takes.

[Baked Potato]

4. This is significant and hopeful.