We’ll be electing a president this year. We’ve done that every four years since 1788. Some of the procedures have changed over the years. States have been added. Political parties have come and gone. Issues have changed. The right to vote has been extended to more people. On average, the system works pretty well.
The run-up to this year’s election has been more expensive and probably more bombastic than most, and we have five months to go. We haven’t gotten to the major-party conventions yet. Candidates for Vice President have to be chosen. Party platforms have to be debated and agreed on.
Voter turn-out is higher in the years when we elect a president. It isn’t as high as it should be, but it’s higher than it is in other years. We see how important the choice is and we make the effort to vote. We may even think about the issues and the consequences. No matter what happens at the conventions in Philadelphia and Cleveland this summer the choices will be clear in November and the stakes will be high.
People around the world are watching us. It’s likely that ordinary people in other countries know the names of some of people who were candidates for president this year and can describe in general terms some of their positions. On the other hand, most Americans know very little about the governments of other countries. Quick. Who’s the Prime Minister of Canada? Do you see what I mean? Ask your neighbors to tell you the names of the heads of the governments of three other countries. Any three countries in the world. And Queen Elizabeth doesn’t count. She’s the head of state. The Prime Minister is the head of government.
Don’t forget that there are other elections this year too. Presidents appoint cabinet members, ambassadors, the heads of Federal agencies, and Federal judges (including Supreme Court Justices) with the advice and consent of the U.S Senate. Approximately one-third of the members of the Senate will be elected this year, and control of the Senate is at stake. All 435 members of the U.S. House of Representatives are up for election this year. Every seat in the Connecticut General Assembly, both the Senate and the House of Representatives will be on a ballot this year. They represent us and vote on matters that affect us every day.
Caesar Rodney, a delegate to the Continental Congress in 1776, rode on horseback from his home in Delaware to Philadelphia during a thunderstorm to vote in favor of the Declaration of Independence. Getting to the polls is easier now. They’re open all day. We don’t have to travel far. With a little planning we can vote by absentee ballot. We’ll help you get a ride or apply for an absentee ballot. You can find us at ridgefielddems.org.
Vote for the important offices. By the way, they’re all important.
The Ridgefield Democratic Town Committee provides this column.