Local Elections.
All politics is local. Yet, your average Delawarean probably cannot name their state Representative or Senator. They definitely cannot name their County Councilman. Sure, they can name their President, their Vice President, and they can probably name their two U.S. Senators and Congressman, and their Governor. But as for their real local representatives in their actual town, city or county, forget about it.
And if you don’t know who your local representative is, the chances are you don’t know when the local election is. Middletown recently had an election that apparently no one knew about, and because no one knew about it, it is going to be rescheduled and redone. There, the annual election was Monday, but then we the “Blizzard of ’09” hit, and the election was delayed a day. Problem was no one got notice of the rescheduling. But even if they had gotten notice, or even if there was no snowstorm at all and the vote was held on Monday as planned, can you guess what the turnout would be? At best, my guess is in the low 20’s, and I am being optimistic. 20% turnout.
I am of the opinion that we have too many elections in this country. And no, I am not being undemocratic when I say that, in fact, I say with that with a concern for more democratic participation. When you have an election somewhere every week, or every month, elections begin to lose their importance. They become routine. The press covers them less. The public cares about them less, to the point that they do not vote in it. And who wins in that scenario? The establishment, those already in power.
If I had my druthers, I would reform all local, state and federal elections so that there is one primary day every two years, preferrably in the late spring, and one general election day every two years, on the first Tuesday of November as provided for in the Constitution. The only exception I would make is the Presidential Primary system every four years, as that must be spaced out over a period of months in the several states rather than have one national primary day. Otherwise, every elected official in the country, from Middletown city council to President of the United States, would be elected on the same day by the same voters. It would increase participation down the ballot to the local races, and hopefully would increase awareness of the local official who is responsible for fixing that pothole or raising your school taxes.
The turnout for the County Council District 5 special election was 5%. I think 20% is very optimistic.
I, too, think there are way too many elections. I would like all elections to be held in November, people are used to voting then. I think the primaries should be earlier (not in September).
I agree that the more voters participate, the better off our democracy is. Things like school boards have been infested with single-issue people (like creationists) because they take advantage of voter apathy to win low turnout elections with their most devoted followers.
I’ve always been in favor of election-alignment. Plus, there would be a money-save in doing so.
Dear Del Lib, I have no horse in this race, but do have a business in Middletown. This “do-over” certainly is one for the books, that probably does have some merit for judicial question. These questions alone were posed to me just in my work-a-day life that day..
1) Where do we vote, since the school is closed today? (Now mind you I don’t think the school was a polling place anyway)
2) Is the election over from yesterday?
3) And now the absentee ballot dilemma….I was in town Monday, I travel on Tuesday thru Thursday.
Oh well, I guess it will all be sorted out, but I am glad it has raised some sort of head scratching.
But, in theory I could agree with your cyclical view of election dates–I really must disagree with your inclusion of school board elections. It goes back to partisan politics, that we have been separate from, and has become a “pure” choice of an individual that a community puts forth. I would HATE to see that tainted with a smear of partisanship that is inevitable to occur. Additionally, for many of us school board is the end. The work is schools and education only. The adulteration of that is a distraction to those who would use it as their entree into the political arena–a dishonest assignment accepted from the community. Oh, and before the accusations fly…my 2007 foray was a windowcrack opportunity of short duration, to wake up the responsibility needed around here in Dover on behalf of education, and my other passion..those marginalized in healthcare. But 2008 happened, and maybe now things will change.
Personally, I don’t think the school board should be elected. An elected position will be a partisan position. Judges shouldn’t be elected either.
Christian v Ennis, redux! You heard it here first!
You can slash my tires later, Joanne.
😉
By the way, Joanne has earned a promotion in my book: She is now my second favorite Delaware Republican. (Tyler Nixon is first). Now that RSmitty is an Independent and all.
What? Incentive to go back? I.must.beat.Nixon. 😛
Joanne is my favorite Republican.
Del Dem:
What is the difference between Tyler Nixon and Mike Protack? Both are right-wing repub partisans who consistently (and fortunately) lose any political contest they enter. Both supported McCain/Palin. Both are currently screeching about what a disaster Obama is.
What is the difference?
I support introducing early voting and same-day registration.
I’m with UI, I’ll take Joanne over TPN.
A1….
Maybe it is because Nixon is a progressive on some issues like the environment, and also a friend.
DD
After two decades of teaching at the undergraduate level in DE, and focusing only on my students who are state residents, the sad fact is that the “average” Delawarean can’t necessarily list off the national offices. Biden is an easy one now, but between 2000-2008 most of my students–including “non-traditional” ones who were older–couldn’t name Cheney despite all the news coverage.
Most of them could not name Carper, either.
Probably fewer than 1% even knew there was county-level govt in DE.
For A1–if you want the difference between Tyler and Protack (aside from the mustache) ask yourself if Tyler would have ever written the Protack comment on “if it rains it poors.”
I heart Joanne, and for me that is a major admission.
Mail-in ballots like Oregon solves the problem. Early voting, from home, whenever it is convenient. It totally appeals to the laziness in me. See The Daily Show for more on American laziness.
Steve,
No, Tyler would not have written that.
I was asking about political, not personal, differences relative to both being republican partisans. In the current political climate, there isn’t much difference between the two that I can see.
While I don’t agree with Tyler on many, many issues he has a brain and is capable of independent thought. He makes me think. Protack makes me nauseous.
A1
I understand policy differences, and while I do not agree with your arguments vis a vis Tyler, they are legitimate points to raise.
That being said, the personal IS critical. Anybody from any ideological perspective who lacks individual empathy is a lost cause no matter what political viewpoint they happen to espouse.
I have a theory: you rage more at Tyler than at Protack because (among other reasons) you see him as a much more effective advocate for what he believes in. You don’t worry that Protack will convince a lot of people to follow him; you do see Tyler as capable of doing that, and it bothers you.
Tell me, however, if you have seen Protack take positions anywhere near Tyler’s on environmental regulation, credit-card reform, or government transparency.
Tyler’s dropped a few points in my book lately, but that still leaves him miles ahead of the rest of the DE GOP crew.
It’s actually easier for me to vote in person (a city block away) than to deal with snail mail, so keeping on-site voting machines is important to me.
I like the mail-in ballot system, like Rebecca suggests. I would also hope that it encourages people to research candidates for lower offices that they don’t often know much about.
LOL pandora. Protack makes me nauseous as well. I tend to ignore him, which is why he must be getting more outrageous since most of us don’t pay any attention to what he says.
Yes, X. His rants against Obama are bordering on Burris-level crap, so his stock is dwindling.
J0anne may yet become my favorite Repug.
All Republicans are ranting against Obama. It’s all they got.
I had sociology prof ask the class one day (this was at the beginning of Bush’s second term-Spring 05) what the W in George W. Bush stood for and if we could name the VP. I was the only one who could answer both questions and got extra credit for that day. I went out of state (MD) for college so I could name the two senators and the Gov/Lt. Gov but there was no way I knew the congressman or any other level of government–But I wasn’t a local, voting in their elections, though the more I think about it, the more I probably should have known who those people were since my tuition nearly doubled in the 4 years I was there (thank you Erhlich/Steele)
I can name more US congressman than Mike Castle.
I can name all the Senators, but after the promiment and local Congressmen, I am done.
Hi Steve,
In the last real back and forth I had with Tyler, he was pushing the long discredited story that the Clinton folks had trashed the White House before Bush moved in. Does that add to his credibility any more than the fact-challenged stuff that Protack pushes? No, it does not.
Tyler’s support of McCain/Palin tells you all you need to know about his judgement relative to leadership and policy. To rail against the Bush/Cheney admin but then vote for one of his biggest supporters (not to mention Palin!) requires a some mental gymnastics that I can’t fathom, but then again, I am not a repub.
In regards to his ability to convince a lot of people to follow him; well, it hasn’t happened yet, now has it? And his recent screeds on his blog against Obama aren’t going to help. Actually, in reality, Protack has been much more effective than Tyler in getting his message out.
In regards to positions on things such as environmental regulation, credit-card reform, and government transparency, so what? I am far more likely to find a Dem that has those same positions or better, but doesn’t have the poor judgement to align themselves with the party of Rush Limbaugh, Sarah Palin, and Tyler’s mentor Newt Gingrich.
I agree with you completely regarding empathy as an essential characteristic for leadership, and I don’t think that Tyler lacks empathy. What he lacks is good political judgment.