What if the city spent $13 million on an election and voters stayed home?
That’s what could happen in Tuesday’s primary runoff for public advocate, which pits Councilwoman Letitia James against state Sen. Daniel Squadron, both of Brooklyn.
Polls will be open from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. — but only a small fraction of the city’s 2.7 million registered Democrats are expected to cast ballots.
Experts said turnout is expected to be between 150,000 and 200,000.
The winner will succeed Bill de Blasio, who is running as the Democratic nominee for mayor.
The public advocate serves as the city’s ombudsman in an office with limited powers and responsibilities.
But the post has proven to be a launching pad for de Blasio and the previous occupant, Mark Green, to run for higher office.
The runoff was called because no candidate in the public-advocate primary won with at least 40 percent of the vote. James got 36 percent to Squadron’s 33 percent.
The bill for the runoff will come to $13 million — even though the total budget for the office is a mere $2.3 million.
Even GOP mayoral candidate Joe Lhota said Monday that the runoff election wasn’t all that important.
“It doesn’t matter who you vote for,” Lhota said, although he encouraged people to get out to the polls. “Public advocate doesn’t mean a whole lot in the scheme of things.”
James has the backing of nearly every major city union while Squadron has the support of his former boss, Sen. Charles Schumer.