Only 12.5% of the registered voters participated in the municipal elections in Marion County four years ago. If early voting and returned absentee ballots are any indication, this year's turnout will be considerably lower. As of noon today, the total number of walk-in and absentee ballots cast stood at just 3,195. In 2011, there were a total of 4,471 early and absentee ballots cast, which represented 12.5% of the 74,843 total votes cast in the 2011 municipal primary election. It is unlikely there will be more than 300 votes cast by tomorrow's noon deadline for early voting.
Like four years ago, there were few, hotly-contested primary races. Mayor Greg Ballard ran unopposed in the 2011 primary race, while the Democratic slated candidate for Indianapolis mayor, Melina Kennedy, faced off against two primary opponents. Like four years ago, there were only a handful of contested council races, although that included a contest in both party's race for the four at-large council positions, which have been eliminated since under a power grab bill enacted by State House Republicans at the urging of Mayor Ballard.
This year, both party's slated candidate for mayor face primary opponents. Democrat Joe Hogsett faces challenger Larry Vaughn. The Republican-slated candidate, Chuck Brewer, has four primary opponents, including Jocelyn Tandy Adande, Terry Michael, Darrel Morris and Lawrence Shouse. There are only two hotly-contested council races, including the face-off between incumbent Democratic council members Angela Mansfield and Leroy Robinson in District 1 and Republican incumbent Christine Scales and Tim Craft in District 3. There are ballot referenda questions proposing property tax increases for school districts in both Perry and Wayne Townships, which normally attract greater voter interest.
Vote Christine Scales for City-County Council. She has the proven integrity and moral courage to do the job right.
ReplyDeleteWhy vote in a primary? The two parties suck, so who would want to be part of either of them?
ReplyDeleteWe need to ditch primaries and parties from the American political landscape.
B rewer
ReplyDeleteC raft
These idiots were recruited solely because the spelling of their names gives them top billing on the ballot.
The idiot Republican establishment won't slate a Wolochowski in a contested election.
I wonder anymore why I bother to take the time to go to the polls and vote. So many candidates chosen secretly or with party connections, in truth in have no real choices of my own. However, this Primary season, I have my own agenda. I will not vote for one slated GOP candidate nor will I select a candidate from an opposing party seeking the same office(s) as the GOP slate. I will simply refrain from casting my ballot for any slated GOP candidate, period, and I don’t give a damn how "good" the incumbent or challenger might be.
ReplyDeleteI WILL be voting for Jocelyn-Tandy Adande for Mayor. In that particular race, I wonder if the is some “Brooksian” agenda with so many mayoral challengers to the closed door, insider crony selection of their hand-picked mystery man Chuckie Brewer… Terry Michael, Darrel Morris and Lawrence Shouse. That’s an old political trick- run as many opposers to the one challenger you really do not want (that would be Jocelyn they have it in for). If I resided in Christine Scales’ council district I would cast my Council vote for her. The rest of them, Democrat and Republican, can find their votes from someone other than me.
Darrell Morris and Larry Shouse are perennial "also-rans". Shouse runs for almost anything, even dog catcher if were on the ballot. Morris ran in the 2007 "can anyone pull the sword from the stone?" Council primaries in 2007, and I think he ran for a Council seat in '11 also. We all know Jocelyn Tandy is another perennial "also-ran" - Congress, Council, Trustee, etc.
ReplyDeleteThe mummy dummies will come out and just enough to make sure Brewer wins the primary and hand the Mayor's office to Hogsett.
"These idiots were recruited solely because the spelling of their names gives them top billing on the ballot"
Wouldn't Adande come before Brewer??
Good, people are getting that you are more likely to get hurt on the way to the polls than any chance your vote makes a difference. Next stop, end the myth of implied consent of the governed!
ReplyDeleteJust prior to the voting registration deadline I registered to vote at the City County Building and within a few days received my voter registration card. This morning is one of the exceedingly rare occasions I turned to the IndyStar website for election coverage, I clicked the story and link to the Indy.gov voter portal.
ReplyDeleteImagine my surprise when the voter poll location on my card is miles from the location on the City's voter portal. I know locations change and I will go to the card-listed poll locations but the card-listed poll location has been, I believe, the polling place for this particular precinct [08 002] for the last several elections. Not sure what's going on but this could lead to confusion for some using the IndyStar link to the online Voter Information Portal.
OH... the reason I finally registered is to be able to vote and cast votes only for non-slated GOP candidates.... and specifically for Jocelyn Tandy Adande for mayor- motivated to counter all the hatred and the lies Kyle Walker spews about candidates who oppose the corrupt GOP gang who run him.
I note the comments about the "always-runs" and I can't say the other commenters are wrong but at least some people are stepping up to the plate and are willing to challenge the corrupt political system harming the County and the County's taxpayers.