Don’t cast aside your chance to cast a ballot this November
The Nov. 2 general election is just more than three weeks away
and it can’t get here soon enough. The wall-to-wall television ads;
the slick campaign mailers; the signs on lawns and fences and
roadsides
– it all becomes a blur as we reach the home stretch in campaign
season.
When the sample ballot arrived in the mail this week, it gave me
a chance to really dig deeply into the candidates and the measures.
It also let me make some snap decisions and generalities that have
nothing to do with the true qualifications of candidates. Aah,
democracy.
Don’t cast aside your chance to cast a ballot this November
The Nov. 2 general election is just more than three weeks away and it can’t get here soon enough. The wall-to-wall television ads; the slick campaign mailers; the signs on lawns and fences and roadsides – it all becomes a blur as we reach the home stretch in campaign season.
When the sample ballot arrived in the mail this week, it gave me a chance to really dig deeply into the candidates and the measures. It also let me make some snap decisions and generalities that have nothing to do with the true qualifications of candidates. Aah, democracy.
Here’s what I learned from the sample ballot:
Money really does buy access. There aren’t just two candidates for governor; there are six. You wouldn’t know that by watching television or reading newspapers, where well-financed candidates can purchase space and time. Instead of just voting for Jerry Brown or Meg Whitman, we can vote for a woman named Nightingale, an actuary named Dale, a retail worker or a financial systems consultant. I had no idea.
With the way our state has been going, it’s tempting to vote for an unknown. Could he or she really make things worse than they are? Doubtful.
We have more than a two-party system, though the Democrats and Republicans are the ones who host the party and set the guest list.
The ballot includes candidates from the American Independent, Peace and Freedom, Green and Libertarian parties. These candidates’ desire to stand up for what they believe in – whatever that may be – and take on the establishment is admirable. Unfortunately for them, and for now, it is likely fruitless.
Does Andrew “Andy” Favor have a shot at state controller? Nope. Will Charles “Kit” Crittenden take over as treasurer? Sorry. Candidates who throw their nicknames onto the ballot probably won’t be taken seriously. Jerry “Governor Moonbeam” Brown wouldn’t work.
The local races feature compelling contests, with a Hollister resident running for state assembly, a former lawyer who used to work in Hollister running for state senator and eight people vying for three open seats on the Hollister School District board. Five people are running for three seats on the high school board while a medical marijuana dispensary director is running for city council.
We also have a contentious sheriff’s race and a runoff battle for a board of supervisors’ seat. There are plenty of reasons to register to vote (by Oct. 18) and cast a ballot. And we haven’t even talked about the state propositions, which address issues such as the legalization of marijuana, a vehicle license surcharge that would help fund state parks, redistricting of congressional districts and a measure that would prohibit the state from taking money from local government agencies.
I appreciate the right to vote, even though I know most of the promises we hear in the big-time races will get thrown out the window once these candidates take office.
Locally, I want a say in who will be voting on budgets for area schools and who will be running the sheriff’s department. My choice of candidates may not be the ones who are elected or, if elected, they may not fulfill all of their promises, but it’s always good to know that I had a choice and I chose to vote.
By the way, I cast a wary eye at the candidates who decline to state their age, as if they have something to hide. If you indicate that you are retired and you list your many years of experience in a given profession, it stands to reason that you are in your 50s or 60s. That’s OK. Embrace it. Life experience is a good thing. If you’re for transparency in government, be transparent about your age. It might work in your favor.
But what do I know? I’m only 41.
Adam Breen writes a blog at http://thebreenblog.blogspot.com and teaches newspaper and yearbook classes at San Benito High School. He is a reporter for The Pinnacle and former editor of the Free Lance.
