A local group is petitioning to change the city’s election cycle in hopes of increasing voter turnout and saving money.
Gainesville Votes! wants elections in the city to closely follow the county, state and federal election routine, meaning elections would be held on even-numbered years.
Thomas Hawkins, a community activist on the Gainesville Votes! team, said the petition needs 7,500 signatures to move forward.
The petition started at the beginning of this month and will run through May.
Hawkins said he personally had 150 signatures as of Monday evening.
Out of 75,000 voters registered in Gainesville, about 11 percent will vote in the city’s yearly elections, Hawkins said.
He said voter turnout spikes to about 75 percent when there is a state or presidential candidate on the ballot.
“A very small number of people are deciding what happens with this community politically,” Hawkins said.
If Gainesville followed the school board’s even-year election cycle, he said, it would save about $190,000 each year — a savings of about 75 percent.
“We want everyone who cares about saving money and participating in local elections to sign the petition,” Hawkins said.
District 4 Commission candidate Adrian Hayes-Santos said he supports the petition.
“I think it’s a great initiative for the city that will help save money and also increase voter participation,” he said.
