Cattaraugus County is known for its “enchanted mountains,” which formed because unlike the rest of Western New York, it wasn’t covered in glaciers in the last ice age.
These rolling hills are peaceful, popular to tourists, and known as a great place to hunt and fish. But as the election edges closer this fall, things are quiet. Almost too quiet. So WBFO looked at how political apathy is shaping this area in a different way than the rest of Western New York.
If anyone knows Cattaraugus County, it’s student journalist Luke Hitchcock. He grew up here. He was born in Olean, graduated from Bolivar-Richburg High School, and decided to come back to his hometown after 21 years in the Army to attend SBU. He plans to cover sports once he graduates.
“It's been refreshing. So it was one of those things where I wasn't happy with where I was. In my current life, I didn't have training that I thought would give me a job that I enjoyed. So journalism is something I feel like I'll enjoy,” said Hitchcock, now a sophomore. “And then the sports aspect of it. Like, I'm gonna get paid to watch sports. I love that idea.”
As journalists across the area prepare to cover the biggest races in their community, Hitchcock says in Cattaraugus people aren’t talking about who is running against who. They aren’t discussing the election much at all.
“I haven't heard anybody even talk about the elections. Since the primaries even started in this area, not on campus, not out of the town. I live in Bolivar and nobody's talking about it in Bolivar,” said Hitchcock.
And why is that? Are people just happy with who they have in power?
“I don't think anybody's happy with who we have,” said Hitchcock. “I don't think they feel like their vote counts, because we're in such a rural area. So I think, again, I think it's that mindset that New York City runs the state.”
This is called political apathy. According toFlorida Atlantic University,it is “feelings of separation and disaffection, a sense of powerlessness and an indifference to politics and political institutions” by voters.
Cattaraugus is a predominantly white and Republican-leaning rural county. Statistically, according to the Pew Research Center, both white and Republican voters are both more likely to feel like their voting does not impact the future of the country. Hitchcock says especially with state or national representatives, they don’t feel that their voice is heard.
Only 57 percent of people in Cattaraugus County live close to a park or recreation facility, as compared to 93 percent of people who live in New York State and 84 percent of people living across the United States. 78 percent of households in Cattaraugus County have a broadband internet connection, as compared to 87 percent of both NYS and US households.
(University of Wisconsin-Madison Population Health Institute’s 2023 County Health Rankings; based on 2017-2021 data)
“Even after they're elected, they [politicians] don't come back here, they have an office here, but they're never here,” said Hitchcock. “They're always either further east in the state, or they're in DC. So I think that's a big part of it is we don't we don't ever see our politicians.”
And in Cattaraugus County, this election, there are not even many politicians vying for a seat. Out of 130 offices up for election, there are only 11 contested seats: Olean’s Alderman for Ward 2, Olean’s Alderman for Ward 6, Dayton’s Highway Superintendent, Farmersville’s Town Supervisor, Farmersville’s Councilmember, Farmersville Highway Superintendent, Freedom’s Councilmember, Lyndon’s Supervisor, Lyndon’s Clerk, Lyndon Councilmember, and New Albion’s Supervisor. This is despite several legislature seats being up for grabs this year.
The University of Wisconsin-Madison Population Health Institute’s 2023 County Health Rankings National Findings Report analyzed how civic infrastructure, including access to schools, parks, libraries and internet impact civic participation. Counties that face long-standing structural racism and disinvestment, including those in Appalachia and tribal areas, like Cattaraugus County, “tend to have less available and under-resourced civic infrastructure.” Counties with better civic infrastructure had better voter turnout, according to the study.
Notable Health Statistics for Cattaraugus County from the 2023 County Health Rankings
- Cattaraugus is ranked among the least healthy counties as far as health outcomes in New York.
- 8,200 years of life were lost to deaths of people under age 75, per 100,000 people, compared to 6,000 years for New York State and 7,300 across the United States. (Data: 2018-2020)
- 14 percent of adults in Cattaraugus County reported that they are in fair or poor health, compared to 12 percent in both New York State and the United States. (Data: 2020)
- A higher percentage of Cattaraugus County adults reported experiencing poor physical mental health and poor physical health for 14 or more of the last 30 days than adults across New York State and the United States as a whole. (Data: 2020)
- Cattaraugus County has a higher suicide rate than New York State and the United States as a whole (Data: 2016-2020)
In the 2022 primary for Governor, only 26,350 people voted in Cattaraugus County. At the time, 49,694 people were registered to vote in the county. According to the Census, 60,065 people are estimated to be voting age in Cattaraugus.
Meaning, roughly one in six people of voting age in Cattaraugus County are not registered to vote, and only 53 percent of registered voters showed up for the last primary.
“I think it's hard to want to get involved in politics if the politics aren't getting involved with you. Meaning, if they're not coming to this area, it's hard for us to even see what they're doing. So if you don't feel represented, it's hard for you to actually want to support or to get involved,” said Hitchcock.
Ultimately, everything is connected: our civic infrastructure, our voting, and even our health.
According to the study, healthier counties tended to have better civic infrastructure and better voter turnout. But UWM ranked Cattaraugus County as 61 out of New York’s 62 counties in terms of health, with only the Bronx behind it.
“As an area we try to get our voice across, but we don't have as many voices as the rest of the state,” said Hitchcock. “So we tend to get kind of left on the bottom.”
To learn more about voting in Cattaraugus County, the upcoming election and how to register to vote, visit the Cattaraugus County Board of Elections by clicking here.
