Halloween is finally behind us, and Thanksgiving and the start of the holiday season will arrive before we know it. It’s Christmastime already at many stores.
But there’s another important holiday that should not be overlooked. It’s Election Day, and it’s just about here.
On Tuesday voters will have the opportunity to go to the polls and choose their favorite candidates for a host of local government positions including mayors, municipal boards and councils, school board seats and county commissioners, among many others. There are also some big judicial races, particularly at the state level.
Once again we remind registered voters that these so-called off-year elections are far more important than many people realize.
We have little doubt that a year from now there will be tremendous excitement as Pennsylvanians get to vote in a presidential race as well as for who gets to represent them in the U.S. House and Senate.
The sad reality is that it seems as though people already are talking more about the 2024 campaign than the one taking place right now.
But the people we’re electing this week have far more direct influence over our lives than anyone we send to Washington.
School directors determine what kind of education our children will get and what our property tax bills will look like.
Municipal leaders decide what kind of police protection our communities get and are responsible for key quality of life issues such as roads and parks. County officials oversee the criminal justice system and a host of crucial human services.
Just about all of us will have contact with one of these local government institutions at some point. So why not take advantage of this opportunity to have a say in how local government is run?
We urge those who come out to the polls to take some time to learn about the candidates, whether through local news media or online resources. Don’t just rely on uninformative roadside signs or potentially misleading advertisements.
Remember that political party affiliation doesn’t necessarily tell you everything you need to know about a candidate. In some races candidates are allowed to get nominated on both major-party tickets, making it unclear whether they are Democrats or Republicans. More importantly, issues in many local races don’t really have much to do with the hot-button issues that dominate our national political conversation. Electing a recorder of deeds or clerk of courts has a lot more to do with competence than ideology.
For those unsure how to vote in judicial races, members of the Pennsylvania Bar Association offer some guidance.
In the hotly contested state Supreme Court race, the PBA’s Judicial Evaluation Commission rates Republican Carolyn T. Carluccio and Democrat Daniel D. McCaffery as highly recommended. For Superior Court, the panel rates Democrats Jill L. Beck and Timika R. Lane as highly recommended and Republican Harry F. Smail Jr. as recommended. Republican Maria Battista was not recommended because she did not participate in the association’s judicial evaluation survey. The panel recommends President Judge Jack A. Panella and Judge Victor P. Stabile for retention. For Commonwealth Court, Republican Megan L. Martin and Democrat Matt Wolf are recommended.
So get ready for Tuesday. Come prepared with information about the candidates to make a knowledgeable choice and the whole process is unlikely to take very long at all.
If you applied for and received a mail-in ballot, be sure to submit it to your county elections office by 8 p.m. Tuesday. A postmark isn’t enough.
If you already submitted a mail-in or absentee ballot, you cannot vote at your polling place on Election Day.
If you did not return your mail-in or absentee ballot and you want to vote in person, you have two options:
• Bring your ballot and the pre-addressed outer return envelope to your polling place to be voided. After you surrender your ballot and envelope and sign a declaration, you can then vote a regular ballot.
• If you don’t have your ballot and return envelope, you can vote by provisional ballot at your polling place. The county election board will then verify that you did not vote by mail before counting your provisional ballot.
That’s all there is to it. Take advantage of your right and privilege to have a say in how your community is governed.
Source: Berkshire mont