Particularly
since recent changes in electoral procedure now allow people to vote in advance
of Election Day. You don’t necessarily have to wait in line for hours at a time
on the big day in order to cast your ballot.
WHICH
IS WHY I’m particularly worked up about Tuesday – which is the final day for
people to make sure they’re registered to vote IF they want to be eligible to
cast ballots in the mayoral election.
If
you wait a couple of weeks, you could still be eligible to vote in the April 7
run-off elections that may well be necessary (the most recent poll I saw indicated
no one is likely to win outright a month from now, and it will be Mayor Rahm
Emanuel being challenged by Cook County Commissioner Jesus “Chuy” Garcia in a
run-off).
But
not being registered properly to vote will ensure that you would be committing
a criminal offense if you were to try to cast a ballot come Feb. 24.
That
would be truly a sad situation if it were to come about next month.
MY
OWN BIAS is that I always want as many people as possible to turn out to cast
ballots – and not just because I do think it is a civic obligation to take a
few minutes to use one of those touch-screens that now serve as voting booths
to express your opinion of who should serve in government.
Both
as mayor, the clerk and treasurer positions, and who gets to represent your
ward in the City Council.
I
know there are some wards where the incumbent is unopposed, which gives people
no choice for who will be their alderman. But there are others where there are
ample choices.
Those
residents ought to look at this as an opportunity to express themselves – to speak
out in a way to make their pleasure (or displeasure) about City Hall known.
NOT
BEING ABLE to do so because you were too lazy to even bother to register to
vote is more of a negative statement about yourself rather than a wisecrack
about the quality of government and its public officials.
Although
I wonder how this upcoming municipal election cycle will turn out.
Because
while I believe there are people who are appalled and disgusted by the current
administration (particularly that of Emanuel) and who are screaming at the top
of their voices to be heard, I also wonder if the apathy factor is going to
cause many more people to care less.
Even
if they are registered, they may not vote. And if they’re not registered, then activity
on Feb. 24 (with a possible April 7 follow-up) is a moot point.
THERE
ALSO WILL be conflicting perceptions because of the fact that so much of metro
Chicago is suburban – about two-thirds, to be exact. In those communities, the
municipal elections don’t come until April 7.
Within
Cook County, only suburban Dolton and Morton Grove have any offices up for
stake next month. Everybody else will wait until April to decide who should be
the leaders of their local governments.
And
if past elections are any example, few suburban people will bother to turn out.
City elections are different in that politically-aware people take them more
seriously than the state or federal elections. Some of the same city residents
who couldn’t be bothered to vote for governor last year will think mayor means
more.
But
how many of last year’s lazy people will care less this year? And how many of
them will scream the loudest come early May when the new local officials are
sworn in for the next four years of service?
-30-
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