It's Time to Vote Again

It must be the political season again. You know, the time of year when incumbents and challengers try and convince voters how “they can do things a lot better”.

It amazes me how we can elect so many rotten apples. At least if the casual observer paid any attention to the “paid political announcements” they would think that all the people who hold office, or want to hold office, must have just escaped from prison!

Each election cycle we are bombarded with glitzy media ads designed to capture our vote in 30-seconds or less. Rarely do these ads contain any substance. Candidates seem to believe that they have to convince us that the challenger is rotten to the core and is not worthy of our vote. “Informational” ads are equally lacking in solid information and frequently they are blatant misrepresentations of the facts concerning the subject of the ad.

Each candidate will try to make their opponent look like your lazy relative who just moved in to your house with six-kids and no job. The fact is that “truth in advertising” laws do not apply to political ads. So, how can we become informed voters and why should I vote anyway?

There are a number of ways to find out what you are voting for. The newspaper is a good source of objective information concerning local candidates and issues. If you don’t believe everything you read, then how about some simple Internet searches. Several very good resources are available to research bond issues and the several propositions that are on the ballot each year.

One resource is http://www.stateline.org/index.do, which is operated by the Pew Center on the States, a research organization administered by the University of Richmond, and funded by the Pew Charitable Trusts. Another is http://www.opensecrets.org/index.asp, which is “your guide to the money in U.S. elections”. There are scores of partisan sites, news magazines and political “chat rooms” and the resourceful person can find out more information than the candidates really want you to know.

Listen to the debates and attend candidate forums. Ask questions and listen to the candidate’s responses. Determine for yourself if the person seeking office is worthy of your vote. Watch City Council and Board of Supervisor meetings on public access television, see how the debates evolve. If you don’t agree with the positions taken by a council or BOS member, vote for someone else during the next election.

Read the voter guide. The voter guide is designed to give both sides of the question an equal chance to express their view of the issue. It also gives the voters the chance to read the proposal for themselves. I usually use a simple test – how much will it cost and will it truely benefit the public.

Whether we vote absentee (at home) or go to the polls and cast our vote we can express our opinion on a variety of issues. The way we do this is to support one candidate or another, vote for or against bond issues, support or decline to support various initiatives that are proposed during each election.

A one-vote advantage will determine who goes to a city, county, state or federal level office. A simple majority of 50% plus one vote (your vote) often determines whether we spend billions of dollars for a restoration project. One vote can determine who is President of the United States!

So, now you know that your vote is important. If nothing else convinces you that you should make a choice on Election Day – look at your pay stub or sales receipt. The people who hold elective office spend all the money that is taken out.