Just being able to vote is reason enough to be excited

Just being able to vote is reason enough to be excited

Tuesday’s election is not a very big election in the Mahoning Valley, which is not to say it isn’t important.

There are only a handful of contested races among Democrats in the cities of Youngstown, Struthers, Warren, Niles, Girard, Hubbard and Salem.

But while the numbers are small, no race can be ignored, because our elected officials have the ability to change lives for better or worse in many ways.

Quite simply, elections have consequences. That’s obviously true on a national level, but it’s also true closer to home.

A city’s mayor and council members make decisions about economic development, budgets and public safety that affect quality of life today and a city’s prospects for the future. In a more perfect world, there would be multiple candidates seeking every position that could be on the ballot. That, we’re afraid, is a dream.

In the fall, far more people will have reason to go to the polls. That’s when school districts and boards of township trustees will have their nonpartisan races.

Of course, the residents of a number of townships and school districts have reason to go to the polls tomorrow.

Various political subdivisions are seeking new or renewal tax levies.

Also, residents in a number of subdivisions will be voting on utility aggregation issues, which have the potential of saving residents money through bulk purchasing contracts of natural gas or electricity. Sample ballots appeared in Sunday’s Vindicator.

Also in Youngstown there are two local option liquor-sales issues on the ballot, in precincts 5I and 2C.

No waiting

If you have a race in your city, ward, precinct, township or school district, take a few minutes tomorrow to cast your ballot. You won’t find Barack Obama or John McCain on the ballot as you did in November, but neither will you find a line at the voting machine.

The Vindicator made only a limited number of endorsements in this election.

We endorsed Youngstown Mayor Jay Williams in the city’s Democratic primary. And we endorsed Anthony R. Protopapa Jr. in the Democratic primary for Struthers president of council.

As we have historically, we urged residents of those school districts that have new or renewal tax levies on the ballot to give them their full consideration. Elected board of education members do not want to ask the district’s voters to pay more taxes; they do so because they believe the money is needed to provide the level of education that the community expects and needs of its next generation.

But regardless of how you are going to vote or who you intend to vote for, go to the polls. It is a right and a responsibility that every voter should take seriously — even in “little” elections.