Student voting sparse during April 3 election

Kansas University has a strong presence in Lawrence with its nearly 30,000 students, but their presence lags on election days.

Burge Union is the voting place for Precinct 10, which covers much of campus, including most of the residence halls, and it has one of the lowest voter turnout rates in the city.

“In the primary, I think we had about 14 people come out of Precinct 10,” Douglas County Clerk Jamie Shew said.

That number dropped to 12 voters in the April 3 election.

The phenomenon extends beyond the campus boundaries.

Turnout in the five precincts with the highest percentage of registered voters between 18 and 24 years old typically falls well below the countywide average in local city and school board elections.

In 2005, the countywide turnout was 38.5 percent, but less than 23 percent of voters turned out near campus. Two years earlier, 13 percent voted near campus, compared with 33 percent turnout overall.