Posted: Monday, May 20, 2013 6:45 pm
Posted on May 20, 2013
“The ignorance of one voter … impairs the security of all,” warned the late President John F. Kennedy.
So just how secure should we all feel with the majority of registered voters expected to ignore Tuesday's primary election? Lower voter turnout has become the norm in recent years. Some 88 percent of registered voters abstained from the past two municipal primaries back in 2011 and 2009, election officials said. And just 12 percent of registered voters are expected to participate in Tuesday’s election.
Area residents link voter apathy to a lack of competing candidates in the primary.
Unemployed since July 2012, Paul Bibeck of Bensalem said he will vote Tuesday “though I don’t really know everyone that’s running.”
“The problem we have today is that a lot of the issues are big, national issues,” said Bibeck, 47. “People want solutions for the economy and jobs.”
Retired Hatboro police Officer Robert Hegele suspects low voter turnout is tied to the number of independent voters. Independent and non-affiliated voters have less cause to participate in the primaries, he said.
The party faithful remain a powerful force in Bucks and Montgomery counties. Roughly 85 percent of voters in Bucks and Montgomery are registered either Republican or Democrat, according to voter registration numbers.
Yet there aren't many Republicans and Democrats competing for those choice positions on the ballot this year, noted Lisa Pflaumer of Middletown.
A Republican, Pflaumer walked away from a seat on the Middletown board of supervisors in 2008.
It's just too costly and time-consuming to run for office at the local level, Pflaumer said. As a result, Democrat and Republican organizations often ask their unendorsed candidates to bow out from the primaries. That way, the party can save money for the November election.
“I was one of those people (township supervisors) that read every word in our (informational0 packets, which were huge,” she said. "When you’re juggling two meetings a month, you can just get caught in reading those packets...as opposed to reading the people.”
Musician Traci Adams of Croydon also said she walked away from a stint in local politics. Adams said she went to a local GOP committee meeting to pitch her ideas for school board and was met with a lukewarm response.
“They didn’t really seem very interested in my ideas,” Adams said. "Truth is: We vote for people on school board and we don't even know if they even graduated from a school."
“But local elections are the most important elections," she added. "If there’s corruption and mismanagement at the local level, then it impacts us directly.”
LisaBeth Weber of Solebury blamed low turnout on the lack of political advertisements. "As much as I don’t like seeing all those TV ads and campaigns signs, some people may need them just to know there’s an election happening.”
Voters who do participate to participate in Tuesday's primary will be asked once again to voluntarily show photo ID. Polls open at 7 a.m. and close at 8 p.m.
“All election officials were instructed to asked for ID,” said Deena Dean, elections director for Bucks County. "If the voter does not show acceptable voter ID, then the person will be provided a handout about voter ID requirements that might take affect in the future.”
Bucks County offers a polling place locator as well as sample ballots on its board of elections page at www.buckscounty.org For more information or to report election day issues, contact the department at 215-348-6154.
So just how secure should we all feel with the majority of registered voters expected to ignore Tuesday's primary election? Lower voter turnout has become the norm in recent years. Some 88 percent of registered voters abstained from the past two municipal primaries back in 2011 and 2009, election officials said. And just 12 percent of registered voters are expected to participate in Tuesday’s election.
Area residents link voter apathy to a lack of competing candidates in the primary.
Unemployed since July 2012, Paul Bibeck of Bensalem said he will vote Tuesday “though I don’t really know everyone that’s running.”
“The problem we have today is that a lot of the issues are big, national issues,” said Bibeck, 47. “People want solutions for the economy and jobs.”
Retired Hatboro police Officer Robert Hegele suspects low voter turnout is tied to the number of independent voters. Independent and non-affiliated voters have less cause to participate in the primaries, he said.
The party faithful remain a powerful force in Bucks and Montgomery counties. Roughly 85 percent of voters in Bucks and Montgomery are registered either Republican or Democrat, according to voter registration numbers.
Yet there aren't many Republicans and Democrats competing for those choice positions on the ballot this year, noted Lisa Pflaumer of Middletown.
A Republican, Pflaumer walked away from a seat on the Middletown board of supervisors in 2008.
It's just too costly and time-consuming to run for office at the local level, Pflaumer said. As a result, Democrat and Republican organizations often ask their unendorsed candidates to bow out from the primaries. That way, the party can save money for the November election.
“I was one of those people (township supervisors) that read every word in our (informational0 packets, which were huge,” she said. "When you’re juggling two meetings a month, you can just get caught in reading those packets...as opposed to reading the people.”
Musician Traci Adams of Croydon also said she walked away from a stint in local politics. Adams said she went to a local GOP committee meeting to pitch her ideas for school board and was met with a lukewarm response.
“They didn’t really seem very interested in my ideas,” Adams said. "Truth is: We vote for people on school board and we don't even know if they even graduated from a school."
“But local elections are the most important elections," she added. "If there’s corruption and mismanagement at the local level, then it impacts us directly.”
LisaBeth Weber of Solebury blamed low turnout on the lack of political advertisements. "As much as I don’t like seeing all those TV ads and campaigns signs, some people may need them just to know there’s an election happening.”
Voters who do participate to participate in Tuesday's primary will be asked once again to voluntarily show photo ID. Polls open at 7 a.m. and close at 8 p.m.
“All election officials were instructed to asked for ID,” said Deena Dean, elections director for Bucks County. "If the voter does not show acceptable voter ID, then the person will be provided a handout about voter ID requirements that might take affect in the future.”
Bucks County offers a polling place locator as well as sample ballots on its board of elections page at www.buckscounty.org For more information or to report election day issues, contact the department at 215-348-6154.
3 comments:
Vote Dingle, gilleo, Perry and Colon for school board
Vote. Do your civic duty. Yes -- I said duty.
Duty - I voted Today!!
Reminded me of the I pooped today shirts. Am I demented?
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