On May 3, Please Don't Go Eeeny-Meeny-Miny-Mo
The May 3 city election has me reflecting on the first time I ever voted.
I showed up at the polls (a local high school) during the Presidential election of 2000, with sweaty palms.
I had registered while in my senior year of high school, but then hadn't done my research on the candidates, who were at the time, George Bush, Al Gore and Ralph Nader.
Sure, I had heard through various media outlets what political commentators and plenty of other people thought about each candidate. But as the election drew near, I never actually realized that I was going to have to make up my own mind about who was best qualified to run the free world.
Fast forward a few weeks and there I was. On election day. My shaky hand inserted the card in the voting machine and my mind raced and my heart beat wildly.
I knew nothing about these three men.
What had I done?
I had showed up completely unprepared for one of the most important decisions a person could make, that's what I had done. And it took me all of about two seconds to figure that out.
Suddenly, there was no political commentator or news anchor in my ear. Not even my outspoken political science professor to tell me what to do—who the hell to choose.
I was disgusted with myself as I selected (using only information other people had given me) who I thought may be the best choice for the biggest job in our country: President.
Boy had I screwed up.
I was so upset I didn't even allow the the poll volunteers to badge me with the cute little white "I voted" sticker.
Instead, I shuffled out the door quickly and headed for my car.
On the drive home I committed to myself that I would never take voting so lightly again.
After all, I was being trusted with a decision that could ultimately change the dynamics of an entire country, and I hadn't taken the time to do my homework about who was best qualified for the job.
I had hired someone I never even interviewed.
And so as things get moving toward our city election (though I realize it's a much smaller scale than say, a Presidential race), I've been pondering the utter lack of voter turnout for Havre de Grace in years past.
Why is it that only a little over 800 of the almost 8,000 registered voters in Havre de Grace took the time to show up at the polls during the May 2009 mayoral and city council election?
Though I realize it could have had something to do with the lack of opposition for the mayor and other incumbents, I think it was more likely voters were much like the 18-year-old version of me who didn't take the time to get to know their candidates.
The only difference being, of course, they didn't head to the polls armed with their lack of knowledge. They probably stayed home in their slippers eating popcorn, and did the same service for our country as me.
For some reason that old adage, "the devil you know is better than the devil you don't" comes to mind when I think of why people refrain from voting.
Perhaps since elections often represent the opportunity for change, which many people are afraid of, some of our residents see voting as taking part in what could be change. So they just sit it out.
But if that's the case, those folks need to keep in mind, sometimes you have to vote just to keep "the devil you know" in office too.
Now that I've probably offended our incumbents with my devil verbiage, I'll move on by giving you a crash course in this election, with hopes that you will do your homework on the candidates using the tools I'm about to provide, and then head to the polls on May 3.
Mayor Wayne Dougherty (who ran unopposed in his last election) has one competitor in this year's race-current council member, Mitch Shank.
And if for some reason you've been sleeping through our last two weeks of news coverage, there are a few other incumbents on the ballot as well, including council members John Correri and Randy Craig.
New candidates for council include James Lauer, Diane Lawder, Lori Maslin and Barbara Wagner.
I think it's important to note that 2009 wasn't the only year there was what could be considered an unambitious turnout of voters. In the May 2010 election, there were 1,179 ballots cast. There were 8,094 registered voters in the city.
And now for the cliff notes: you have more opportunities than ever before to get to know the candidates for this election. The table at the bottom outlines all of the already-announced public candidate forums and debates.
But that's not all. The crew here at Patch will also be hosting our own public debate for mayoral candidates Dougherty and Shank, toward the end of the month. More details on our event to follow.
While I truly believe most of you are already planning to head to the polls, I hope this column at least encourages you to study the opinions of the people who could be representing our city, and even those who already do.
I hope you attend at least one, but preferably several, of the upcoming public forums and debates to see with your own eyes how these individuals communicate with and react toward others.
No matter how much reading you do or how many council meetings you see on TV, it's not the same as meeting someone in person. Shaking their hand. Listening to your instincts.
Looking back, I can't say for sure whether the 18-year-old me would have driven herself to several different venues to listen and watch as candidates spoke and bantered in public forums, probably not even for the position of President.
But it's been a few years since then, and fortunately I now understand the immense responsibility of carrying a voter registration card.
I also know that taking someone else's word about a candidate for any position, or showing up completely unprepared to vote is just as bad (if not worse) than not showing up at all.
| UPCOMING DEBATES/CANDIDATE FORUMS | |||
| DATE | HOST | NOTE | LOCATION |
| 4.14 | Chamber of Commerce | $17 Luncheon | Bayou |
| 4.27 | Residences at Bulle Rock | Open to all Bulle Rock Residents, or via Resident Invitation | Bulle Rock Residents' Center |
| 4.28 | OPAC | Open to Public | City Hall |
| TBD | Patch | Mayor's Race | TBD |
