With the November elections approaching I have been thinking about the 20 Alderman and School Committee races that have a single candidate. In past years I have skipped candidate races that offered no choice in a silent protest. In Newton we are having many conversations about the few contested races but we should not forget the rest of the pack.
As I have personally become more involved in Newton and knowledgeable about how our local government runs I am rethinking my standard reaction to the sparse ballot issue. This time around I will be voting for several candidates that I have seen in action but probably not cast a vote in all races.
I would like to hear from candidates, and their supporters, who have not been asked to candidate forums and debates to hear what they want to accomplish, as if there was a chance to lose.
And to start off, one candidate that I would cast a vote for is John Rice for his contributions to Newton Highlands. Alas, as a Ward 6 resident, I will not see John’s name on my ballot so I want to know who gets my vote for the candidates that are guaranteed to win without it.
Disclosure Statement: I am on the ballot of the Newton Highlands Neighborhood Area Council as one of seven candidates for nine positions.
Such an interesting question, Groot! I choose not to attend any candidate forums for a variety reasons, so I qualify as one to respond to your question. In addition, it’s one I think about before each election.
For me, the same criteria as to whom I vote for apply to contested and uncontested races and I make my decisions based on a few larger concepts, rather than on specific issues. Assuming all are candidates, this is what I think about:
Top priorities:
-Independence – people who’ve demonstrated that they think for themselves.
-Ability to work with other branches of the local government – If a candidate from one branch has shown s/he can’t work productively with the other two branches of government, s/he doesn’t get my vote. If a
-Respect: for constituents, other electeds, and for municipal and school employees. If I see an elected texting during a public hearing, for example, I wouldn’t vote for that person. Aldermen who fall sleep during committee meetings don’t get my vote. Word gets around.
-An open mind to new perspectives
-A willingness to advocate for the diverse constituencies (economic, political, cultural, neighborhood/village)
Lesser priority:
-Vote or position on any one issue. I’m not a fan of “litmus tests”. Over the course of two/four years, there’ll be issues that you win or lose. I’ve been on the losing end of a big one, and life goes on.
People I don’t vote for:
-Obstructionists
-Candidates who have an agenda
That’s just some quick thoughts on an interesting topic.
I undertsand I’m not going to agree 100% of the time with any candidate, so my big issues when deciding who to vote for (local, state, national) is a person’s character and the person’s transparency. If a person says he/she is transparent, but doesn’t return phone calls or emails that is a notch against both transparency and character(honesty).
I vote for unopposed Democrats only. Blank for all else. I wanna show support for my party.
A vote for an unopposed candidate is a wasted vote. Not voting shows a disdain for a one-party system which Newton is.
I heard that in the Soviet Union if an unopposed candidate doesn’t get more than 50% of the possible votes, based upon the number of ballots cast, he/she was not elected. Then not casting a vote is a true protest against the one candidate running. I’d like to see that done here. That forces an unopposed candidate, of which there are far too many, to nevertheless convince the voters to vote for the candidate.l
I like “None of the above” as a way to protest my vote