Tuesday was Election Day in Ohio, but you wouldn’t know it based on the number of people who turned out to vote.

A mere 6.85% of Belmont County’s registered voters cast ballots in the special/primary election. According to unofficial totals released by the Belmont County Board of Elections, 3,086 people voted. More than 45,000 are registered to vote. Of the ballots cast, 830 were those of absentee voters, which includes early in-person voting. A total of 2,256 residents voted on Election Day.

Of course this election didn’t feature any high-profile or presidential contests, and it seems likely that recent elections have left voters feeling fatigued.

Tuesday’s ballot featured one statewide measure — Ohio Issue 2 — and four proposed property tax levies in various communities. A few candidates for office were listed, but all were uncontested.

A total of 28 Belmont village residents voted in favor of a 1.5-mill, continuing property tax for expenses related to cemetery maintenance and upkeep. They prevailed over the other 22 people who bothered to vote no on the measure. Turnout within the village was 16.78% with 51 of the community’s 304 registered voters casting ballots.

Participation was even weaker in Flushing, where residents voted 49-9 to renew a 5-mill property tax levy to provide and maintain fire apparatus, ambulance equipment or other emergency medical services. Turnout in Flushing stood at 10.10% with 58 out of 574 registered voters participating.

In Kirkwood Township, voters supported an additional 1-mill, five-year levy for maintaining and operating cemeteries by a 10-7 margin. Turnout was 6.2%.

In Wheeling Township, a current expenses levy failed in a 91-54 vote. Turnout there was 12.05%.

We Americans have the opportunity to make decisions for ourselves, but few of us chose to take it on Tuesday.

We can — and we must — do better.