it's worth noting that the "low turnout" in the recent palestinian municipal election ("just under 55 percent") is about where american turnout rates are in presidential elections. in the 2008 presidential election, for example, the turnout rate was only slightly higher at 57.37%--and that was the highest turnout rate for a national election in 40 years. also, keep mind that rates for u.s. presidential elections are a lot higher than turnout rates for municipal-only elections in this country.
