Vote today
While today’s election may not have as many contested races as in past years, the contests that are on the ballot are important and should draw some voters to the polls.
It’s just a shame that there are so many races where candidates are running without any opposition, leaving voters without any choices when they cast their ballots. Little wonder then why the turnout is forecast to be only around 30 percent. With so few choices, many voters can’t be blamed for not being overly enthused about today’s election.
What’s really needed to get the electorate excited is a complete overhaul of our voting system, making it easier not only to vote but also to run for office. Right now, Pennsylvania is far behind many other states in making it easier for residents to register and vote. The commonwealth also has a complicated system for candidates to get on the ballot, with more and more challengers being prevented from running every year due to legal technicalities.
The current system simply makes it very difficult for the candidacies of newcomers and outsiders. With voting so difficult and the lack of competition, our system discourages rather than encourages residents to participate in our democratic form of government.
But we’re stuck with the system we have now, at least for today, and eligible voters are urged to make the trek to polls so your opinion can be heard. The candidates have been speaking their piece for the past several months through all sorts of political advertising. Today you get to voice your choice. It’s not something that should be taken lightly. Remember that people have died in wars so that you have this opportunity.
The Herald-Standard Editorial Board met with candidates for four local races and asked them to give us their opinions on the issues facing local residents.
Most of the candidates took the time to meet with us, and overall we were impressed with their knowledge of the issues and their commitment to serving the public.
We applaud all those candidates running in the election today. Whether we offered them our endorsement or not, they deserve credit for stepping up to the plate and presenting voters with some possible solutions to the problems we’re facing today.
We weighed the stances of the candidates on the pressing issues, their history, experiences, priorities and promises and endorsed those candidates we thought would best serve the residents of the area.
In the end, we’re not trying to tell you who to vote for as much as we’re trying to get you to think about the election and the candidates that are running.
We try to judge the candidates on their merits, and we hope you do the same.
So, here’s a rundown of the candidates endorsed by the Herald-Standard Editorial Board in today’s election:
n Democratic nomination for governor of Pennsylvania: Businessman Tom Wolf.
n Republican nomination for 9th Congressional District: Incumbent Bill Shuster.
n Democratic nomination for 32nd District of the state Senate: State Rep. Deberah Kula.
n Democratic nomination for 52nd District of the state House of Representatives: Perry Township Supervisor A.J. Boni.
n Democratic nomination for 49th District of the state House of Representatives: Incumbent Pete Daley.
Remember the polls are open from 7 a.m. until 8 p.m.