This StoryMap presents Worcester’s preliminary and general municipal elections between 2013 and 2023, with a special focus on individual races in 2021 and 2023. The hope is to generate interest in elections going forward, and to present to voters a clear and indisputable fact: turnout for municipal elections is low, and many elections — especially contested elections in districts — hinge on sometimes just a few hundred votes or even just a few dozen. Even in voting precincts, those smallest of boundaries to help organize City Council districts, polling stations, and the like, see candidates separated by sometimes a handful of votes. The common adage is that every vote counts; that is especially true in municipal elections with low turnout. While there should be high turnout for every election, local elections are crucial: they determine how city budgets are set, set priorities for for public safety and street redesigns, how money is spent in schools, and so much more.
This series of maps will briefly touch on preliminary and general municipal elections from 2013 to 2019, and then on individual races from 2021 and 2023.
View the StoryMap in full screen.