Halloween is 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 being observed today.
Voters 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 leadership posts, among many others. There are also some big judicial races.
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 people get ready to vote in the always crucial midterm elections that decide control of Congress in the last two years of the current president’s term. And there’s already talk about the 2028 presidential campaign.
It would be nice to assume that this off-year election has more juice than some others given some races with national implications. In New Jersey voters will decide a very hotly contested race for a new governor. Meanwhile Pennsylvania voters have been inundated with advertising regarding the vote on whether to retain three state Supreme Court justices. Such campaigns are usually uneventful, but with three Democrats’ seats on the bench at stake, that party’s majority on court could be in jeopardy. Republicans see an opportunity, and Democrats are pushing hard to preserve their court advantage. Study the issues and look beyond the advertising claims before making a decision.
But there’s more to this election than the races that most of the attention.
The people we’re electing in local races 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 Pennsylvania races candidates can get nominated on both major-party tickets, making it unclear whether they are Democrats or Republicans. And issues in many local races don’t 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.
So come to the polls today and be prepared with information about the candidates to make a knowledgeable choice. The whole process is unlikely to take very long at all.
For Pennsylvania residents with mail-in ballots:
If you applied for and received a mail-in ballot in Pennsylvania, 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.
For New Jersey voters with mail-in ballots:
• Mailed ballots must be postmarked by 8 p.m. today and be received by your county’s board of elections with six days. To make sure your ballot is postmarked on time, go up to the counter at a post office and have a clerk stamp the postmark on your ballot envelope.
• The other option is to place the ballot in one of your county’s secure drop boxes or deliver it to the county board of elections by 8 p.m. New Jersey does not accept mail ballots at polling locations.
It’s not difficult at all. Take advantage of your right and privilege to have a say in how your community is governed.
