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Letters: Some thoughts on why voters stayed home

I offer the following thoughts as an unendorsed Republican candidate for Bucks County commissioner who just lost an election in which 88 percent of the eligible voters chose not to vote.

I offer the following thoughts as an unendorsed Republican candidate for Bucks County commissioner who just lost an election in which 88 percent of the eligible voters chose not to vote.

The leaders of both the Democrats and the Republicans attributed the lowest turnout of primary voters in recent memory to such things as the weather, apathy, uncontested races, not much opposition, and people not being that unhappy with government. I find this assessment cavalier, condescending, and delusory.

During the last few months, voters from all parts of Bucks County shared with me their feelings about the current condition of local government and party leadership. Happiness was not among those feelings.

If the aim of party leaders is to have as many uncontested races as possible, it should hardly be surprising that the result is voter apathy.

Ironically, while the League of Women Voters and various editorial boards withdrew opportunities for non-endorsed candidates to have their messages heard, often-maligned tea-party organizations, such as Doylestown's Kitchen Table Patriots and Upper Makefield's Republicans for Action, sponsored public forums for all candidates.

Andy Warren

Langhorne