For the first time since 1978, Seminole County did not hold an election.
All of the people who held an office in Seminole County ran unopposed. Nobody was there to run against the mayors, judges, city council members and city commissioners.
This was surprising. But what was even more surprising was how little people seemed to care. There was minimal coverage: Other than two articles online, nobody was questioning it or even mentioning it.
The biggest question is: Why were there no new opponents running for office?
The most straightforward answer to that question would be that nobody wants to be mayor. Nobody wants to be a city council member. Nobody wants to run for office in their local government.
But that answer is too simple. In today’s climate of political polarization, many avoid subjecting themselves to the abuse that comes with political office. Running a campaign means being under constant scrutiny.
If running for office meant having your life dissected and your beliefs targeted, who would want to? Both the Democratic and Republican parties have split their voters up using propaganda and defamatory rhetoric against each other.
Many Americans these days are afraid to discuss politics with anyone. A polling by SPN found 59% of Americans stayed quiet about politics just to avoid conflict. With this avoidance, people become afraid to speak their views out of a fear of scrutiny, which discourages people from involving themselves in politics at all, much less running for a political office.
But fear is the safer explanation for a lack of candidates. What is more concerning is the trend of voter apathy, or a lack of interest in politics. Even if there was an election last week, most people wouldn’t have shown up anyway.
The average voter turnout for non-presidential elections last year was 22-23%. In Florida, Alachua County had a voter turnout of less than 23%, and Dixie County had the highest turnout at 44%. Seminole County had the lowest voter turnout of 17.7%.
That means even in the county with the best turnout, less than half of the citizens showed up to vote. Lower voter turnout can lead to local elections being scrapped. With fewer people voting in their elections, the next, worse situation is not having an election at all. This is where Seminole County currently stands.
The problem with this situation is the United States is a representative democracy. Elections are the most important function of a democracy, because elections are a way for people to have a say in who governs them.
Without elections, people don’t get proper representation, and even worse, their lives may be affected by policies that they didn’t vote for, or in this instance, rules made by people that they didn’t get the chance to vote in. This trend of voter apathy can leave a strain on the one thing that should be guaranteed in a democracy: a voice.
However, there will still be a 2026 election for both the Florida Primary Election and General Election. The Florida Primary Election will take place on Aug. 18, 2026. The General Election will take place on Nov. 3, 2026.
Within the time frame of now to the 2026 elections, take the time to participate in your local government. Take to the polls and vote for the candidates you feel resonate with you more, and maybe someday run for a position in your local government, or support the campaign of someone who is running for office.
Active participation is what it takes to fix this issue. If there is nobody to run for office, then there is nobody to offer new ideas on how to better the lives of the people living in the towns and cities.
In a representative democracy, people need to be represented, or need to be the representation. The latter is not a choice, but a responsibility.
