By City Councillor John M. Tobin, Jr.

It was raining? That's not good enough.

Political pundits often use the weather as a reason for low voter turnout. That's an easy out. Elections are held in November and this is New England. It could have been worse.

I believe the reason only 13 percent of the city's registered voters cast votes last week is more complicated. First off, there was no mayor's race, which traditionally draws more voters. Second, there were only nine candidates for four at-large seats, five of them serious enough to win. Of the nine district City Council districts, only four had races.

It was expected to be a quiet election. But sleepy races can have their surprises. At-large City Councillor Felix Arroyo is out. West Roxbury attorney John Connolly is in. Clearly, every vote counts.

I believe we could begin to generate more excitement about local races if City Council and mayoral elections were held concurrently. That's why I plan to hold hearings this month on my proposal to stretch the City Council terms from two years to four.

In theory, City Councillors are always running for re-election. That's the nature of the job. In reality we must mount a re-election campaign every other year, unless unopposed. That's a lot of campaigning. Four year terms would give City Councillors more time to focus on the job and less time running for re-election.

In addition, holding city elections every four years would save the city money in election-related costs. The cancellation of this year's Preliminary Election (due to the low number of candidates on the ballot) was expected to save the city $500,000. Why couldn't those funds be used for voter education, registration drives and to teach civics in our public schools?

In the next several weeks I also plan to file a proposal to limit Mayor and City Council terms to 12 years. Term limits create a sense of urgency to move your agenda forward. Give elected leaders a deadline. When the time is up, they should step aside for someone new. Longer terms may also attract new candidates who are now disinterested in running for a two-year term.

It appears that voter apathy is on the rise. People say they don't know the candidates. They claim they don't know what City Council does. They complain that they are too busy to find out. Tell that to the elderly woman I saw struggling to get out of a car in front of one polling site last week. People have always been busy and our predecessors lived without any of the modern conveniences that we have at our fingertips.

Information about elections has never been more accessible. You can find out everything you want to know in the palm of your hand. A quick Google search provides any would-be voter with a thumbnail sketch of the candidates. The unfortunate truth is that people spend more time ordering coffee than they do making decisions about their elected officials.

Clearly, the power of voting is not completely lost on young people. How else can we explain the runaway success of shows like American Idol and Dancing with the Stars? Those voters know the power of their opinion. Through education and outreach I believe we can inspire young people to vote in these elections and run for these seats.

I recently launched Tobin's Teens, the District 6 youth advisory board that encourages local young people from my district to get involved in shaping public policy. The group holds regular meetings and started a blog on current topics. Last summer they toured the State House and met Governor Deval Patrick. I hope these experiences will help them understand that government works best when people speak up.

I think it's time to change the system. A few moderations could attract more voters to the polls and more candidates to the offices. At the same time, the electorate needs to get involved. People need to pay attention and exercise their right to vote.

District 6 Boston City Councillor John M. Tobin, Jr. represents Wet Roxbury and Jamaica Plain. He was elected in 2001 and was re-elected in 2003, 2005 and 2007. He ran unopposed this year for the first time.