Ramallah, West Bank — Despite Hamas’ boycott of the Palestinian municipal elections and a discouraging 55% turnout, candidates and observers alike saw the Oct. 20 poll as essential to re-establish political legitimacy in the city councils after a seven-year voting hiatus. But among the young electorate, Al-Monitor found few who believed their vote mattered.

More than two years after their initial date, Saturday's municipal elections were held throughout the West Bank in voting stations often set up in local schools. Outside Aziz Shaheen School in Ramallah, the streets were already crowded at 8 a.m. as people went to cast their votes before heading to work. The mayor of Ramallah for the past seven years, Janet Michael, jovially greeted voters, election observers and fellow candidates — several from her own independent list, Al-Mustaqbal. She told Al-Monitor that the poll was essential to ensure change: “You will get new ideas with new people.”

In front of the school, her fellow candidate Iskandar Maalouf also argued for the importance of local elections in spite of political circumstances.

“Even if the occupation is all around us, we have day-to-day problems, like sewage systems and traffic, which the municipality should deal with,” said Maalouf.