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| Many of us haven't paid the least bit of attention. Photograph by Gregory Tejeda |
It’s
election cycles like this one that I envision cause many people to think there
is no point to the process. As it was, when I arrived in the morning, no one
was present. I got to walk right up, pick a voting machine, and cast my ballot
for the municipal elections that my current residence gives me a say in.
ACTUALLY,
MOST OF the posts that I was given a say in turned out to be ones in which the
incumbents ran unopposed. The school boards in my area had some choices, but
they were literally cases where I was to pick multiple members and the number
of “losers” will be few.
From
what I can tell, I’m in the norm.
It
was last week that Cook County Clerk David Orr said that 67 percent of the
posts that were up for grabs across the county were unopposed. Only 334 of the
1,031 contests had challengers.
For
a couple of posts, there literally were no choices. I was asked to “write in” a
name. Perhaps I should have proclaimed myself to be a candidate. It would have been
as legitimate as anyone else.
FOR
THE RECORD, I’m not a candidate for any office. I left those spots blank.
Now
the reason I cast my ballot early even though I didn’t have any extreme
sentiments in favor of any specific candidates (although I have to admit the
mayor in the municipality I’m currently residing seems like an affable sort and
probably is qualified – which is good because no one else seems to want the
post) is because of my professional duties.
I’m
not sure yet if I’m needed by anybody for Election Day work. So getting things
out of the way in casting a ballot now when I had a free morning just made some
sense.
It
really makes sense in those election cycles where there is interest and the
early voting centers can be a way to avoid long lines. Which I’m pretty
confident I can get away with saying that Tuesday will not have.
BUT
THIS ISN’T a presidential cycle. It’s not even a run for the state Legislature,
which is a post that many people theoretically comprehend has some
significance, but in many cases can’t be persuaded to get off their keisters to
cast a ballot.
In
many cases, they don’t even know who their legislators are – and I doubt
anything will happen between now and the next election cycle those people run
in that the public will become better informed.
This
is the municipal level, where the government geeks like to believe is the one
where all the “real” governing is done. The tax levies are approved that set
the property taxes on your home
The
local ordinances are set that determine the particular quirks for your
community.
BUT
TOO MANY of us take the attitude of actor Carrol O’Connor’s “Archie Bunker”
character who on "All in the Family" supposedly went for decades without voting, and said he wasn’t about to waste
his ballot on petty little offices. Only the big ones for him!
Perhaps
we are better off if people who can’t be bothered to learn about their local
governments stay out. I’m sure there are those who think the 2016 presidential
election was one in which clueless people cast ballots – thereby causing chaos
for the masses.
But
I do seriously believe that we as a society are better off if we educate
ourselves about what is happening around us and take a public interest. Even if
it’s just so we can make educated arguments about how messed up our government
officials are.
That’s
why I felt compelled to cast my ballot for the status quo. I want the “right”
to tell my government officials how “wrong” they are.
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