Local news outlet spurs civic organizations to improve voter turnout and educate people about the election process

Jennifer P. Brown of the Hoptown Chronicle, an online news site in Hopkinsville, Ky., population 33,000 and the seat of Christian County, pop. 73,000, writes in response to yesterday's Rural Blog item about democracy as a beat:

Christian County (Wikipedia map)

"A couple of weeks ago, I wrote my Sunday column about Christian County's troubles with voter turnout. It's been going on for several years, but things were especially bad in May because of confusion over polling sites. In my column I said it's about time for some groups that carry the civics banner in Hopkinsville to get involved in voter education. The poor turnout says a lot about us that no one wants to admit. At the most, I thought a few groups that I called out might share on their social-media sites some info about where and when to vote in November. So you could have knocked me over when [Nikki Chambers,] the president of the local League of Women Voters contacted me and said she had set up a meeting with Chamber of Commerce president Taylor Hayes and some other groups. She said the column instigated this, and she asked me to be at the meeting later this month."

In her column, headlined "Christian County’s civic talent needs to get behind a voter education campaign," Brown wrote: "As news and social media options grow and splinter, the attention of community members becomes more and more fragmented. We cannot count on any outlet or government office on its own to carry a message that reaches a majority of residents. We need more organizations to step up and use their connections and resources to speak directly to their constituents about the very practical aspects of this upcoming election."

Brown argued that voter turnout doesn't just support democracy: "As long as I’ve been a journalist in Hopkinsville (about 35 years now), I’ve heard about the importance of community behaviors and assets when economic development officials recruit new industries. I’ve been told again and again that large corporations want to bring their employees to a vibrant community that shows it cares about good schools, infrastructure and recreational facilities. But shouldn’t we also wonder what it means when fewer than 10% of our registered voters care enough to go to the polls?"