by

Fred Swift

Hamilton County Reporter

(NOTE: This is a commentary written by Fred Swift of the Hamilton County Reporter. The views expressed are those of Fred Swift and do not necessarily reflect the views of LarryInFishers.com.  This opinion piece is posted here as part of a partnership between the Reporter and LarryInFishers.com) 

Are voters more enthusiastic or more “turned off” by the upcoming general election which is now less than three weeks away? If absentee and early voting are indications, the answer seems to be they are much more interested than in most non-presidential elections.

The county elections office reports that walk-in traffic for early voting is averaging 500 per day. And, more than 5,000 voters have requested mailed ballots. The great interest is partially because of the increasing popularity of early voting coupled with particular interest due to national publicity over the importance of control of Congress.

In any event, Hamilton County does have an important local election with dozens of offices to be voted upon. This year is called an off-year election, but with all the offices at stake from U.S. Senate to township board, it has more implications for local residents than the presidential year election.

For example, voters will choose school board members who can alter the course of local school systems. Township officials will be elected who in some communities will decide the future of their fire and rescue services.

At the county level, races for sheriff, county commissioner and county council will determine whether or not there will be any major changes in public services ranging from law enforcement policy to highway improvement.

And, of course, at the national level, the outcome of our Senate race could possibly determine majority control and therefore future of national administration policy.

So, it is probably not wise to listen to cynics who may say elections don’t matter and politicians are all the same. Such statements are by and large not true. Elections do matter.

Both political parties, of course, know this and are working harder than in most off-year elections to get their voters to participate. Democrats, feeling there is a national trend in their direction, are working harder locally than they have in years. Republicans, knowing they have a challenge, are also working harder than they usually do in fall elections to maintain their advantage.