Since I’ll out of town on Election Day, I voted absentee this year. It’s the first time I ever cast a ballot at somewhere other than a polling place. I’m glad I can still vote but I’m going to miss taking a couple of the kids with me into the voting booth and letting them push the buttons on the touch screen I point to.
Aside from the big national races there wasn’t much going on locally. No mayor or city council races. Not even any controversial or polarizing state ballot initiatives. I was kind of surprised how few things were to vote on this year. Underwhelmed, actually.
I did shake my head when I got to the state house and senate races and noticed there was only one major party candidate on the ballot. Even though the presence of the other major party on the ballot probably wouldn’t have changed my vote, I like the idea of at least having a choice. Instead having a single choice feel like I was living in totalitarian North Korea or the former Soviet Union. (And no, vanity-fueled, wacko, third party candidates don’t count as a choice.) Both major parties need strong opposition to keep them in check. Sadly, there isn’t much of that here in my neck of the woods. But if you’re not even going to put up some token opposition, you’re going to remain the minority party for a long, long time.
Maybe after this election the minority party will get their act together and actually field a candidate. Well, I can always hope.