So even under the best circumstances, less than 10% of the residents of Baltimore will determine the next Mayor. Lovely.

Need not worry, I'm sure they are the City's smartest 10%.

Turnout is always low in off years.

http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0781453.html

Being one of the 11% Republican votes in the City of Baltimore, I look at it this way. When the two "candidates" for mayor in the Republican primary REFUSE to answer questions on issues for anyone, why the hell should I waste my time voting for either one? If they don't have the time to answer my questions about the issues, I won't bother voting for either. Screw both of them. And they wonder why there's no Republican Party in Baltimore City?

Why is the mayoral races held of off years? We need to get them at least in a congressional voting year!

If we ever needed a reason to change the City elections to occur as the same time as the state elections, today is it! It is also very sad that when people all over the world have fought and died to be able to vote, that so many of our voters just say no thanks.

Julie,

You really don't understand elections.

First, you are using overall registration figures. Remember it is a closed primary so you are including in your turnout figures 60,000 registered voters who do not align themselves with either the GOP or the Dems. There is nothing for them to voter on so to include them in your figures is bogus.

Second, whomever wins the Dem primary is going to be the winner in the general election too. When you have an 8:1 advantage it is highly unlikely that a GOP will win. Possible but I think the O's will win the WS before a GOP wins in the city. You should just focus on the Dems.

Third, we have two things that were not in place in 2007 -- early voting and a more liberal absentee ballot program. That means the early vote has no baseline -- outside of 2010 elections -- and absentee votes will be significantly higher than 4 years ago.

You must look at the overall race, understand the changes in election law, the significance of a closed primary and not mix and match your facts and figures.

This is an incredibly poor post that your predecessors would never have considered posting.

Only 24.8 percent of Baltimore City residents over the age of 25 hold bachelors degrees... are those the 25 percent you expected to get to the polls and vote? Seriously... this race is supposed to be about the people, but you have to meet the people where they are. there are 300,000 people that are registered to vote in baltimore. the candidates knocked on about 120,000 doors or less combined... BIGGER BETTER BALTIMORE can exist if there was a PLAN to make it happen. Rolley and Pugh together have the best plan for BALTIMORE and together they could have nearly stitched up the next 8 years in the big seat. I really hope that the few that turn out will have the best in mind...

I voted early and didnt need to give my ID. Its a joke, anyone with my address can pretend they are me and vote. The system is pathetic. Welcome to Baltimore City. The democratic party 30 years ago would never have allowed this. Shameful that elections have come down to no one caring who votes and only that votes get counted. How easy it is to rig elections in Baltimore City.

Voted early? Curses! That's why my plot to vote as you today failed! You win this round, Jimmy C.

Seriously, do you have any actual evidence that anyone casts fraudulent ballots, or are you just whistling Dixie?

So we have 18% of registered voters or 11% of the citizens of Baltimore who actually voted, and even in this relative landslide 2.4% of the population or just over 9000 people effectively decided between the top two candidates. The Baltimore electoral machine certainly likes off-year elections with hand-down mayors.
This is a farce...not a real democracy.
Who, in good faith, can say that 11% turnout every 4 years is democracy. Lets just admit that what we have is a benevolent oligarchy that feigns democracy.

I figured that after the Baltimore City police illegally obtained a bogus search warrant of my home five days later after stopping my sons friend for having tinted windows; arresting my son, then coming to my home to ask whether I would consent to a voluntary search because…get this, “ your son said there were drugs in your house”. I said no repeatedly BUT that wasn’t enough, five days later the same clowns and three new ones surrounded my house, bust down my door and commensed to looking through my cd’s, tearing out baby pictures, removing SOME fireplace logs, entering my room and pulling out my panties, emptying, the used vacuum cleaner bag, destroying my daughters room and flipping a mattress in my sons room (they never ripped through his closet), tossed some of his clothing on the floor and then tried to reattached the locks that they just bust through on my front door????????? I said, I will pass on the voting. Paying property taxes and TAXES to this government is a rip off. We are paying for nothing but corruption and abuse and I pass. Congrats Ms. Rawlings! I wished you all the best with out my vote. Peace.

I figured that after the Baltimore City police illegally obtained a bogus search warrant of my home five days later after stopping my sons friend for having tinted windows; arresting my son, then coming to my home to ask whether I would consent to a voluntary search because…get this, “ your son said there were drugs in your house”. I said no repeatedly BUT that wasn’t enough, five days later the same clowns and three new ones surrounded my house, bust down my door and commensed to looking through my cd’s, tearing out baby pictures, removing SOME fireplace logs, entering my room and pulling out my panties, emptying, the used vacuum cleaner bag, destroying my daughters room and flipping a mattress in my sons room (they never ripped through his closet), tossed some of his clothing on the floor and then tried to reattached the locks that they just bust through on my front door????????? Laughed at my neighbors and never offered to protect them by asking them to go inside their homes….Laughed at the neighbors as they left my property…. I said, I will pass on the voting. Paying property taxes and TAXES to this government is a rip off. We are paying for nothing but corruption and abuse and I pass. Congrats Ms. Rawlings! I wished you all the best without my vote. Peace.
I dont expect this to get posted....I just want the funds to fix the frame and front door. This is a hiding and corrupted system. The show must go on!

What's the point - Baltimore will never be what she once was and it's a blatant disgrace. The cancer which was at one time kept at bay is now rampant and choking the life from The Independant City. Since its spread to City Hall, Baltimore has been dying a slow and painful death and it's all being ignored by those elected to fix it. Ignorant, uppity arrogance has replaced good common sense and the work ethic possessed by previous generations smart enough to move to where their earnings got them more for their money. Like today, there is simply no incentive to stay.

Voter turnout is down because it's not worth the effort pulling the lever for business as usual.