Last month, a Franklin and Marshall College poll found deep discontent among Pennsylvania voters regarding the state and trajectory of the commonwealth. As we’ve said before, that’s no surprise — but take note of what’s happened since then.

Very little, to be honest. In any other February of any other year, that might be normal. But this year is not normal: this year, 228 state legislative positions are up for election — not, of course, that you’d notice.

In Butler County, where all 10 legislative seats — seven seats in the House; three in the Senate — are up for election, that combination of voter discontent and sweeping state elections has been channelled into . . . one contested primary race.

There could have been 20 — just counting the primary contests — had both parties managed to muster candidates interested in, or willing to, offer up some ideas for taking this state in a direction more voters would favor. Don’t forget: two-thirds — 67 percent — of voters think Pennsylvania is on the wrong track.

Sadly, that didn’t happen — suggesting an apathy extending to the general election as well. In November, Butler County voters will enjoy two contested races out of a possible 10. That goes far beyond a letter grade of F for failing. It’s dismal. It’s dismaying. Eighty-two percent of our state’s electorate thinks state government needs to be reformed, yet we can’t manage 10 competing viewpoints to make the voting booth an interesting and hopeful place to visit this November.

This has nothing to do with the policies or positions of any of our current state legislators. Agree or disagree with them; at least they showed up for work. Although many taxpayers might question that statement, pointing to the lack of a budget, eight months into the fiscal year.

For their part, state lawmakers say they are trying to meet the challenges facing this commonwealth.

Yes, it’s obviously far easier to tell a pollster that you’re hopping mad with the Legislature (according to F & M, more than 50 percent blame them for the budget impasse) than to mount and fund a campaign yourself.

And yes, there are other factors at play when it comes to running for state office — from our highly partisan redistricting process to the amount of money it takes to run a competitive campaign.

But voter discontent alone means nothing if there’s no choice on the ballot. And ultimately — whether it be three years from now, or five, or 10 — we will look back on this election as a missed opportunity. That’s a certainty. The only question is, what kind of damage will ultimately be inflicted by our apparent lack of motivation and ideas for how to change our state for the better?