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Health & Fitness

Will You Show Up at the Polls On Election Day?

Will only 4,401 voters decide our future in Manchester on November 8?

“More than 90 percent of registered voters turned out to cast their ballot in Tunisia's election, their first truly free election.” (BBC Mobile, Oct 23, 2011.) Meanwhile, In Manchester about 30 percent of voters will show up on November 8! We should be embarrassed by that statistic. 

Will you vote on November 8? Have you registered? Will a lackluster, local campaign lead to an even lower than normal turnout of voters this year?

There are 26,757 registered voters in Manchester (population north of 56,000). Unfortunately, fewer than one-third show up in a municipal only election year.  Seventy percent will stay home watching reality TV while true reality happens at the polls. Apathy reigns even though the results may have a major impact on your pocket book. Take this year for example – there is a  $12 million dollar bonding referendum on the ballot to improve roads, sidewalks and to build a connection between Center Springs Park and Broad Street. Newly elected officials to the Board of Directors and the Board of Education will be making financial decisions that impact your tax bill. They will pick a new school superintendent and high school principal who will direct our schools for the near future.

The right to vote in the U.S. is the center piece of our democracy. Although the original U.S.  Constitution restricted voting rights to adult, white, property owning males, things have changed for the better. Over the years hard won amendments to the Constitution prohibited discrimination in voting due to race, sex (women got the right to vote in 1920), and youth (18 and up). However, since the 1960’s voter participation has been declining. Various reasons are given: disenchantment, indifference, or contentment. The biggest turnout is in presidential election years, but even then only 63 percent of registered voters turned out in 2008 (68 percent of black voters). Locally, Manchester voters are more interested in presidential voting (74 percent turnout in 2008) but turn apathetic in municipal only elections. If previous patterns hold true, about 8,800 of 26,757 voters will exercise their voting rights on November 8.  A deciding majority vote of only 4,401 electors could determine who will serve on our Boards and decide to spend or not to spend $12 million on roads and connecting Center Springs Park to Broad Street.

Although we have some excellent candidates from both parties, so far none of them, Republicans or Democrats, have stimulated much of a debate on the issues (does apathy among the candidates lead to more apathy amongst voters?). My guess is we will have a record low turnout this year.  

What can we do to get more people out to vote? Candidates: what are the most important issues? What is your stance on them?

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