The city council in Springfield, Massachusetts Monday will attempt to override the mayor’s veto of an election notification ordinance.
Alarmed by a voter turnout of less than 10 percent in the last municipal election, the City Council voted to require City Hall to send post cards to every household and put out signs to publicize elections.
Mayor Domenic Sarno vetoed it, claiming it was a first step toward publicly financed election campaigns.
City Councilor Jesse Lederman, the sponsor of the ordinance, said it is not intended to promote any particular candidate, but simply to encourage voter participation.
"If we are not going to take this seriously when we are at 9 percent voter turnout in our municipal elections, at what point will the administration agree it is a problem and want to take action?" said Lederman.
The postcard notices would cost the city an estimated $26,000 for each election cycle.
