Please Remember: The Election is about More than the Presidency

I’ve read recent stories that speculate that Donald Trump’s problems may depress Republican turnout and make a problem for down-ticket candidates. On the other hand, I’ve read that lack of enthusiasm for Clinton may depress Democratic turnout and be bad for the chances of down-tick Democrats.

These things disturb me in a completely non-partisan way. It is unfortunately that off-year elections have lower participation as do local elections. A substantial amount of the policy you have to live with is made by local authorities such as your county commission, your city council, and your school board. In Florida we have judicial elections and retention votes as well. Even if the national candidates make you want to put a clothespin on your nose before going in to vote, there are plenty of things that are important for you to vote on, perhaps even more important than who sits in the White House. Oh, I didn’t mention issues, did I. Those too!

In national terms we will be deciding control of the Senate. In theory we could be deciding control of House as well, though it’s very unlikely that will change hands. Nonetheless, considering that party discipline is very weak in Congress, every representative counts.

So even if you decide to write in Mickey Mouse for president, as a more qualified candidate than those on offer, please pay some attention to these other races, study your choices, and vote. I’ll have looked up every single space on my sample ballot and found what I can find in order to make the most informed decision possible.

My suggestion: consider all candidates for all offices. They’re important.