With the county's two biggest offices on the line, just 41% of Allegheny County's registered voters participated in last Tuesday's election. More than a half million residents sat it out.
While turnout exceeded predictions of 30%, it doesn't make the low level of participation less disappointing.
Factors in the result include: lower interest due to a lack of major national and state races, and voters so turned off by politics, they dropped out.
Still, there are ideas to improve turnout. To address apathy, better outreach to voting groups about issues affecting them directly could help.
How many more would have voted if they knew their property tax could go up? How about making election day a holiday or Saturday?
Not voting is not the answer.
Non-participation will affect you and the place you call home for years to come. What's the old saying; "if you didn't vote, you can't complain."
When you do vote, KDKA is your outlet. After all, we are the Voice of Pittsburgh.
