If voters were upset at how they're being governed, they didn't express it by casting votes in yesterday's election--at least in Marion County. Less than a quarter of the registered voters in Marion County bothered to show up to vote in yesterday's general election. That number represented more than 55,000 fewer voters than the number who cast ballots in the last off-year election in 2010 when 215,808 voters, or 36.61% of the registered voters, participated in the election compared to the 160,133 who voted yesterday. The turnout in the 2011 municipal election was even better. In that election, 181,220 voters cast ballots, which represented about 30% of the registered voters.
Democrats lost about 22,608 straight-ticket voters between the 2014 and 2010 general elections, while Republicans lost about 18,900 straight-ticket voters between the two off-year elections. Democrats had an 18-point advantage among the 60% of voters who cast straight-ticket ballots in yesterday's election compared to the 15-point advantage they had in the 2010 election. Democrats had only about a 10-point advantage in straight-ticket voting in the 2011 municipal election. In the last presidential election in 2012, Democrats had a 31-point advantage over the Republicans in straight-ticket voting.
Those who bothered to show up favored both the statewide and county-wide Democratic candidates by substantial margins. Marion Co. Prosecutor Terry Curry received the highest percentage of the votes (61%), followed by Marion Co. Sheriff John Layton (59%), Marion Co. Auditor Julie Voorhies (55%), clerk candidate Myla Eldridge (54%) and recorder candidate Kate Sweeney Bell. Secretary of State candidate Beth White led the statewide ticket with 58% of the vote, followed by auditor candidate Mike Claytor (52%) and treasurer candidate Mike Boland (51%). Both incumbent congressional members representing Marion Co. under-performed yesterday. Rep. Andre Carson (D) received under 55% of the vote against his unfunded opponent, Cat Ping (R), while Rep. Susan Brooks (R) garnered less than 54% against her unknown, unfunded Democratic opponent, Shawn Denney.
"If voters were upset at how they're being governed, they didn't express it by casting votes in yesterday's election"
ReplyDeleteWHAT!
I hate how I'm being governed, but you expect me to show up and vote in the same failed system that gives me the same failed two parties, year in and year out?
Read the Indiana Election Code. It's rigged in favor of the Democrats and Republicans. It's horribly biased against anyone not from those two parties.
Neither of those two horrible parties has the right ideas, so what's the point of voting for either of them? A dog turd sandwich and a cat turd sandwich both taste pretty awful (or so I've been told).
Open the ballots to more candidates, and get party names off the ballot.
Give me some real parties and some real choices, and let me vote for who I want, rather than against who I want least.
Let me be able to transfer my vote to the next guy if my gal doesn't win.
If you vote, this is your government. I don't vote. I'm not a part of this government, and I won't legitimize it by voting for it.
Bad election upon bad election causes one to wonder whether humans are easily manipulated simians and whether letting them vote might not be the best idea, after all.
Less than 25% of registered voters turn out in Marion County to Vote. Look at it this way if you had an Army in the field and 75% of your soldiers refused to fight, you could conclude your soldiers did not think the cause was fighting for.
ReplyDelete75% of the Registered Voters did not think casting a vote was worth the minimal effort needed. I cannot blame anyone for not voting here in Marion County or in this state. Both Political Parties are totally united behind Crony-Capitalism.
The who cares attitude prevails.
Not participating is not a solution.
ReplyDeleteYes, Haskett, not participating is the best solution. If nobody voted, it would be hard for the government to claim any legitimacy. Voting is giving assent. Not voting is withdrawing assent.
ReplyDeleteIf people continue to vote, the system can make some claim to being "the will of the people."
Gary said only 25% of registered voters turned out. What percentage of Marion County is registered to vote? Just how few people care to be part of this government?
This government is well on its way to being an irrelevant occupying government.