Every Election is Important!

[MineralMan]

Here in St. Paul, MN, there's an election next Tuesday. That will come as a complete surprise to many residents of our city, and that's a very bad thing. Similar elections will be taking place in many places around the country in Tuesday.

In St. Paul, we're electing a mayor. The incumbent, Chris Coleman, is almost certain to win. He's popular and effective and has the support of the DFL party here. Not much to worry about there.

But, there's also an election in Saint Paul to select three members of this city's school district board. Three positions and just five candidates seeking those positions. Three of the candidates have the endorsement of the DFL party, and will be good choices for the position. The other two won't be good choices. Yet, if the right is able to turn out some voters, those two have a chance of getting on the school board.

The problem is turnout. Even in mid-term elections, between the presidential elections, turnout drops dramatically, making GOTV efforts even more important in assuring that good candidates get elected. But, in the odd-numbered off-year elections, it's much, much worse. Turnouts drop into the basement, with a 15% turnout being a great turnout. People do not bother to vote in these elections, and the right-wingers know it. A modest GOTV effort can turn out enough voters to get conservative candidates onto school boards and other local elective office. The Right knows this and works on those elections as a way of getting their foot in the door. School boards are especially vulnerable because some voters just skip voting on those races. Why? Because they have no idea who the candidates are.

So, if you're a Democrat and there's an off-year election in your area, find out who the Democratic Party has endorsed for those school board, commission, and other races on the ballot. You can find out by searching for those endorsements on Google. Then, go to the polls and make your vote known.

In no other elections are the votes of individual voters more important than in these off-year elections. If you want to make a difference, vote in off-year elections. Every time. Don't skip them. They're very important, especially in your local districts of many kinds. Find out who the candidates are and what they represent. Google them. Google Democratic endorsements in your area. Don't let the right control off-year elections. They will, if you don't turn out.

GOTV in Every Election!

[gopiscrap]

1. agreed

[MineralMan]

4. Thanks for recognizing the importance of local elections!

[gopiscrap]

8. I'd say they are VITALLY important

I have worked at both the national and local level You can't have success at the national level unless you have a good local base.

[riqster]

2. K & R

GOTFV

[MineralMan]

3. Thanks! It's more important than people know.

And yet, the turnout will be very low again for these elections. That's really too bad. If Democrats turned out in high numbers in these off-term elections, local offices would look a lot different.

And local elective offices are the first stop toward political careers for many people. Imagine if Democrats simply dominated all of these local elected positions. It's an opportunity we should not miss, but we seem to completely ignore these elections.

We should do just the opposite, and show up en masse for them. That would be a true revolution.

[riqster]

5. They are effective at creating the pool of Dems

That we will need later for higher offices. Also, we create the HABIT of voting.

[MineralMan]

6. Absolutely. They are the primary school for politicians.

Pretty much everyone starts out in local offices.

[riqster]

7. I was thinking "farm team". Pretty much the same idea.