LYNCHBURG, Va. – Eleven percent of voters in the Hill City went to the polls in the recent May election.
Disappointed in the low voter turnout, people are looking for change. On Tuesday, Larry Bassett, a Lynchburg resident, will ask City Council to change local elections from May to November. It's a discussion that has community members split. Bassett believes more people do come out to vote in the fall election than in spring.
Lynchburg's city attorney tells 10 News that state law allows City Council to adopt an ordinance to make the change. We're told council members have tried to three times before, in 2003, 2005 and 2011. Their decision to not pass it was because local elections get drowned out by national elections in November.
"In a democracy, you want to have the most people possible vote. It’s fairly clear that more people will vote in November than in May. So that's my argument and what I'm asking City Council to do,” Bassett said.
Bassett will go before City Council at 7:30 p.m.