Low Voter Turnout for School Levy Ballot

The majority of voters eligible to cast a vote on the Kent City Schools levy Tuesday stayed home.

A total 3,608 votes were cast on Issue 8, according to final but unofficial results from the Portage County Board of Elections.

The 8.9 mill school operating levy passed by a vote of 2,201 for the levy and 1,407 against it, according to the board of elections.

Citywide, there are 17,223 registered voters in Kent. Add in the neighboring townships and villages, and 21,380 voters were eligible to cast a vote on the levy last week.

Of the eligible voters, just 16.8 percent cast a vote on the levy. The votes cast in favor of the levy represent just 10 percent of the total voters eligible to vote on the issue.

Countywide, Portage saw a voter turnout of less than 9 percent.

"This is an average turnout in an odd year election," Faith Lyon, director of the Portage County election board, said.

Some Kent Patch readers lamented the low voter turnout.

"I don't want to (hear) anyone complain about the school levy passing and their taxes going up, especially if they didn't vote," one reader said.