Nobody voted in this town's election — not even the poll workers

(Image credit: Logan Mock-Bunting/Getty Images)

published 4 August 2017

Precisely zero people voted in the special election in McIntire, Iowa, on Tuesday. Even the poll workers — who were on the job for nine hours — abstained from casting a ballot, the Mason City Globe Gazette reports. McIntire has a population of 110, with 70 registered voters who declined to weigh in on whether the term of the mayor and city council members should be changed from two years to four years.

Deputy Auditor Barbara Baldwin said "none of the three poll workers live in McIntire so they couldn't vote. We had to get them from Riceville." She added that election costs for the failed election could reach $500.

"I've been with the auditor's office for 28 years and we've had low voter turnouts in the past, but nothing like this," said Baldwin. "This is definitely a first."

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Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.