Vastly higher turnout in even-numbered years drowns out down-ballot drop-off, and more representative results indicate voters have the information they need.

For supporters of democracy, the equation should be simple. Higher turnout = better representation.

Research bears this out. Aligning local elections with higher-profile state and national races - in even-numbered years - boosts voter turnout more than any other change that election scholars have studied. Sightline's recent analysis comparing 2021 and 2022 turnout in Washington showed that fully 62 percent more people - 1.2 million Washingtonians - voted in the even-year election over the odd.

The sheer numbers speak for themselves; a democracy serves communities when more voters participate.

And digging into the academic studies regarding how voters understand and communicate their preferences confirms this conclusion, despite fears from critics. When more people vote, more people vote on local issues, and their ballots largely reflect their values and ideas - leading to better representation and a more responsive democracy.

To build a more representative democracy, then, we should do everything we can to increase voter participation when we have a choice.

WHAT WASHINGTON VOTERS AND LEADERS NEED TO KNOW ABOUT EVEN-YEAR ELECTIONS

1. Washington state could see far higher turnout for local offices - contrary to the naysayers

With House Bill 1932 in the 2024 legislative session, Washington state legislators have an opportunity to significantly increase participation in local elections across the state. HB 1932 would allow (but not require) cities and towns to move their elections to even-numbered years if they wish to do so. For jurisdictions that make the switch, turnout for mayor, city council, and other city offices would likely double, or more. Local government leaders could take advantage of the much greater turnout and govern with a clearer mandate from their constituents.

Opponents of this legislation are raising concerns that moving local elections to even-numbered years will result in voters who are uninformed about local issues or who will stop filling out a long ballot. KUOW reported in December that Washington Secretary of State Steve Hobbs "opposes the move to even-year elections. He argues that voters won't have time to learn about local races, and there will be a lot of undervotes. He also thinks candidates for smaller races won't be able to break through in grabbing voter attention." These comments were echoed in public testimony last month from Secretary Hobbs' office opposing HB 1932. Sec. Hobbs is not the only one - Seattle City Council president Sara Nelson, for example, has espoused similar views, as has the Seattle Times editorial board.

Concerns about undervotes and about voter attention and information are unwarranted. Evidence reveals that the increase in voter turnout in even years completely swamps any undervotes. And when people turn in a ballot, they are able to effectively communicate their interests - including on local issues, when the ballot is long, and with scant available information.

2. More voters means more votes for local offices - far more votes, not undervotes

The data show that undervotes are not a reasonable concern. More people vote for local offices during even years, not only on high-profile positions like US President or Senator.

Sightline has previously explored the issue of "undervoting," also known as down-ballot drop-off - when voters stop voting for the races farther down the ballot, which tend to be local offices. We found that while drop-off occurs in almost all elections, the switch to even-year elections results in an increase in the total number of votes cast in local races: greater overall participation vastly outweighs the small amount of individual ballot drop-off. Oregon's turnout for local elections is double that of Washington's, after taking ballot drop-off into account.

If cities in Washington switched thei...