Here’s your chance to show how smart, intuitive or lucky you are. Share your predictions to the following five questions. Deadline for submissions is 8 p.m. Tuesday (when polls close) but anyone who guesses turnout before the polls open (7 a.m. Tuesday) gets extra props.
Winner gets to decide if we build the Austin Street project bragging rights.
- What will the turnout be? (in percentage of registered voters).
- Which candidate in a contested alderman or school committee contest will receive the most votes citywide?
- Which Charter Commission candidate will receive the most votes citywide?
- Which candidate in a non-contested race will receive the most votes citywide?
- BONUS: What will be the biggest surprise on Election Day?
1. 19%
2. Ted
3. Rhanna
4. Scott Lennon
5. The success of incumbents over those who are using fear to try to unseat them
PS Vote Bryan Barash for Charter Commission!
1. 17.66%
5. Cyrus Vaghar wins.
After just graduating high-school this past June, I have been amazed at how far this election cycle has come. Tomorrow, roughly half the candidates running for positions will not be elected. Even if you are not elected, hold your head up high because you did a great public service by running, and many people would never put themselves out there.
Best,
Cyrus
P.s. Win or lose, i’ll be back in 2 year 😉
1. 23.8%
2. Deb Crossley
3. Bryan Barash
4. Scott Lennon
5. The awesome weather!
Bonus question Greg:
How many votes will the NINTH place Charter Commission winner recieve?
I’ll say 690.
15%
Margaret Albright
Rhanna Kidwell
No Vote
Voters will reject the Commission.
Rather than answer the poll, I ask people reading the blog to do two things. The first is VOTE. It’s looking like less than 20% of people in Newton will vote today in spite of a key issue that will truly have an impact on the future of the city is on the ballot: Should we vote in a Charter Commission to change the City’s bylaws. In other words, should Newton change it’s constitution?
Do we need a mayor at all? Do we keep a strong mayor? Do we move to a weak mayor or city manager system? Should we have more neighborhood voices or less in government? Should we limit the terms of our elected officials? Should we add to, subtract from or keep their duties the same?
Imagine if all those people so concerned about Bernie vs. Hillary or who will finally rise to the top of a crowded Republican field to run for President turned out to have a say in what will determine how they live and do business in Newton, this would be the greatest surprise of all.
The other thing I have to say: why is it the status quo always endorses the status quo? If you are sick and tired of how things are done in Newton, don’t say, “Why even bother?” Go to the polls and cast your vote, even if it’s a blank ballot. I am sickened and saddened by seeing the same people endorse the same names ignoring committed, passionate new comers or ripping them down.
In their rock the vote anthem “Try Out Your Voice,” the local band Big D and the Kids Table said, “Use it, just use it WE ARE THE PEOPLE baby.”
We have a responsibility to try out our voices today. Screw the known because they’re known and actually go out and vote for people you believe in. Mostly, just go vote.
Karla, most years I’d agree with you. But in this cycle, at least as it applies to most of aldermen/council contests, the decision needs to made on ideology, not fresh faces vs. new. As has been pointed about by others, the incumbents represent change, the challengers represent the status quo.
@lisap, why do you think the charter commission will be voted down?
Heck, with 22 candidates and all their friends voting, that might be nigh impossible!!!
Go Karla!!!
@Terry, on your question, I’ll say 689.
1. 18 percent
2. Ted Hess-Mahan
3. RhannaKidwell
4. Scott Lennon
5. Albright will beat Auchincloss by small margin. Johnson will take third. (Not sure if that’s a surprise.) Otherwise incumbents will win all around.
No. 9 winner on the Charter Commission will get 2,061 votes.
1. 24 percent (take that Josh!)
2. Margaret Albright
3. Tom Sheff
4. Scott Lennon
5. Greater than 20% turnout
Bonus charter question: 397 (watch for lots of ballots to include fewer than 9 checkmarks)
Also, only thing I would add to KArla’s comments is that a Charter Commission is reviewing the charter and not necessarily changing it- I’m viewing it as a vote for prudence (leading, perhaps, to reform) rather than inevitable needed reform
1. 17.2%
2. Margaret Albright top vote getter
3. Rhanna Kidwell wins charter commission
4. Scott Lennon top uncontested vote getter
5. Ward 2: Jake first, then Albright, Johnson finishes fourth.
Terry’s Q: 962 votes for ninth place finisher.
1. 22 percent
2. Kalis (the one candidate that both the “import poor people” and the anti-importing crowd like)
3. Krintzman (I would have picked Kidwell but others already did)
4. Sangiolo
5. The TAB will report later this month that Lisa Thorson received contributions from one of more of its endorsed candidates.
@Terry: There will be a four way tie for ninth place. Paging David Olson to tell us what happens then.
I predict that a Ward 2 Alderman will be defeated for re-election.
@ Greg, re your question of what happens if 4 finish tied for ninth spot, I have it on good authority that each of the ninth place finishers gets to participate in every fourth meeting of the commission.
1. 16.6%
2. Margaret Albright
3. Kidwell
4. Ruthanne Fuller
5. Despite not being on anyone’s list except mine, Wenhua Zhang will place between 3rd and 6th among charter commission candidates.
I was impressed with Zhang as well, Jeffrey. It wouldn’t surprise me, but perhaps I’m in the minority on that. I haven’t been as focused on the Charter commission politics.
Here are my predictions for the Charter Commission: Kidwell in first place, Krintzman second.
Tom Sheff finishes in 7th place and Peter Harrington gets the 9th spot. Charlie Shapiro finishes 10th and misses out by 20 votes and asks for a re-count.
@Jeffrey: Wenhua Zhang is on my list as well.
@Doug- If Peter Harrington gets the 9th spot, I’d be thrilled! The city needs him on this Commission.
Greg,
Given how few contested races there were, the big focus for me was charter commission. People need to care about local elections. Why they turn out for a Presidential race that means little to nothing locally, the people who are in charge of things like garbage pick up, zoning variances, malicious… I mean, rerouting traffic, etc. are the people we need to be concerned about.
It’s important to try out our voices. I’m sick and tired of “s/he could never win….” excuses to stay home. Maybe if we got off our collective duffs and voted, that would be a mindset of which we’d be well shed.