LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Every vote counts. It’s a saying you have probably heard your entire life, but does it live up to its impactful message? Two races from the recent May primary election show it certainly does.
Despite low voter turnout statewide — less than 13% — the recent primary election came with a pair of too-close-to-call races. A recanvass would later confirm the winners of these races with no changes.
The first was in eastern Jefferson County for the Democratic State House District 36 race. There, Woody Zorn narrowly beat Colin McDowell. Zorn won by just five votes.
“Not very often. That’s quite unusual to be that close,” said Dewey Clayton, a political science professor at the University of Louisville.
Clayton explains Zorn’s win is an outlier that serves as a prime example of why voting is so important.
“Every time you vote and when you do vote, it’s a testament to all of those who came before you in this country who could not vote,” Clayton said.
This race is one Clayton says he’ll share with his students as a lesson for young voters about why participation matters.
“I don’t mind being an example to be used in government classes for the next few years to show that just a five-vote win can take it,” Woody Zorn told Spectrum News 1.
A high school teacher himself, Zorn recognizes the significance of this win too. Still, he says his focus is now on a November victory over Republican incumbent John Hodgson.
“We were happy. The whole goal was to move on from the primary to the general election so that we can take our message to a larger audience,” Zorn said.
Coincidentally, the other close primary race also featured eastern Jefferson County. In State Senate District 7, Republican Aaron Reed secured a win by a margin of just 1 %. Reed beat fellow newcomer Ed Gallrein and delivered an upset to incumbent Adrienne Southworth.
“I just think that the more you get connected in the process, you know, it’s just like, you know, if you play sports, you know, you’re not going to win every game that you play, but you’re going to go out there and fight, and give it your best. And you might lose today. But, you know, you’re like, okay, we’ll get them next time,” Clayton said.
More engagement, Clayton adds, leads to better representation. “This is our democracy, and it only works well when we participate,” he said.
Clayton suggests one way to get more people engaged is by making it easier to vote. An example is automatically allowing felons to cast a ballot once their time has been served. Currently, felons in Kentucky must petition the state for that right to be returned. A bill to make this automatic failed to advance through the legislature in 2024.