Do you vote in local elections?

[TravelingChris]

My entire family votes in local elections as well as national.  Dh and I even voted when we lived overseas for three years.  We would get information online.  Some offices like the water board we couldn't find any information on the candidates so we would leave those ones blank.  Over here the newspaper always has a spread and most candidates have web pages.  There were also web pages on constitutional changes. Our state constitution is very strange with lots of random issues included that I wouldn't think would be in the constitution.  Parts about certain sections of the state having a different way of electing delegates for school board and other strange issues.

 

Like Bill (SpyCar), I am even interested in elections overseas.

[TechWife]

Yes, I vote in all elections. 

 

Yesterday we had two town council seats to vote for (five candidates), the mayor and a bond referendum. 

 

The town council race has been quite contentious as our town is at a bit of a crossroads in many areas - there are some important decisions regarding development, expansion, taxes, etc. coming in the next five years or so. I found information on one candidate quite easily. For the other candidates, there wasn't much out there.  I went to the state election board web site and looked at the financial information that they are required to file. It was very revealing. One man, the one I knew the most about, brought in a lot of campaign money (I mean total $32K) from sources outside the town who have a financial interest in the decisions that the town council makes (real estate developers, land investment companies, surveyors, construction companies, etc). Another man disclosed that he owns a construction company. His money also came from outside the local area and was mainly from real estate agents. He brought in $12K in campaign donations. The other candidates all brought in between $4K-5K, which is typical for a town council race. Their donations came from some companies already located in the town, but  mostly from private residents. All of this to say, the simple information available was enough to help me determine who to vote for. 

 

I would not waste my vote by writing in a stuffed animal. I have been known to leave sections blank when I didn't know about the candidates and I've also, on one occasion, done a write in vote for someone who I thought would truly do an excellent job but wasn't on the ballot. But a stuffed animal or a fictional character? Very disrespectful to all of the other voters, both past and present as well as to the people around the world who struggle to vote or are not even allowed to vote at all. Not my style. 

[myfunnybunch]

Yes. We live in a mail-in ballot state, so it's easy. I missed one election when my ballot slipped in with some other papers and I thought dh had dropped it off for me.

[jewellsmommy]

Yes we did and do routinely vote at every opportunity. I enjoy elections.  I'm just weird that way. :tongue_smilie: Dh works for the city we live in and has contact with some of these individuals. He quickly decides who he like and who he doesn't. :lol:

 

[FaithManor]

Oh yes. Yesterday was the first time in a long time that we did not have a local bond, millage, or official to vote on, but maybe that is because last year there were a crazy number of items on the ballot.