Palestinians Stage Elections, Young Voters Shrug
Despite a Hamas boycott and low voter turnout, many saw Palestine's municipal elections as a step toward re-establishing political legitimacy. But among the young electorate, Lena Odgaard found few who believed their vote mattered, having lost faith in elections after seeing 2006's winning party, Hamas, blocked from assuming power.
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Ramallah, West Bank — Despite Hamas’ boycott of the Palestinian municipal elections and a discouraging 55% turnout, candidates and observers alike saw the Oct. 20 poll as essential to re-establish political legitimacy in the city councils after a seven-year voting hiatus. But among the young electorate, Al-Monitor found few who believed their vote mattered.
More than two years after their initial date, Saturday's municipal elections were held throughout the West Bank in voting stations often set up in local schools. Outside Aziz Shaheen School in Ramallah, the streets were already crowded at 8 a.m. as people went to cast their votes before heading to work. The mayor of Ramallah for the past seven years, Janet Michael, jovially greeted voters, election observers and fellow candidates — several from her own independent list, Al-Mustaqbal. She told Al-Monitor that the poll was essential to ensure change: “You will get new ideas with new people.”
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