Should election date be moved?

A community activist wants Missouri City's municipal elections moved from May to the November general election date. Resident Noel Pinnock started pushing for the change several weeks ago by asking Owen and City Council to look into holding municipal elections in conjunction with general elections in November, citing the promise of higher voter turnout. In an email to some elected local, state and federal officials whose constituencies include Missouri City, Pinnock said combining the elections could save money. County Election Administrator John Oldham agreed that a date change might increase voter turnout for city elections, but added that there might not be cost savings. Pinnock, a professor for Springfield College in Springfield, Mass., who unsuccessfully ran for City Council in May, believes that having more voters at the polls could lead to a change in the city government. Fort Bend County Elections Office records show that the city's May election for this year cost $11,074 for 11 polling locations with a 9.13 percent turnout, which totaled 1,840 voters. Anthony Mourlis, who also failed in his bid in 2010 to seek a City Council seat, supports Pinnock's push for the change, which he believes would bring out more voters from areas other than Quail Valley, which he describes as a "strong voting block." Owen said none of the cities in Fort Bend County is interested in changing the election date, as indicated by municipal officials at two recent monthly get-togethers of the Fort Bend County Mayors-Council Association. Political subdivisions, such as cities, school districts or municipal utility districts, split their costs with the county if they contract the county to run their elections jointly.