The last couple of weeks, I’ve been driving a lot through the North Country, most recently navigating the long Route 3 drive from Tupper Lake to Watertown.<\/p>\n
Everywhere you turn, there are lawn signs trumpeting various contests in next Tuesday’s election.<\/p>\n
This is one of those “off season” elections.\u00a0 There are no state or national races on the ballot.\u00a0 This one is all about our back yards, our neighbors, our communities.<\/p>\n
But that doesn’t make this trip to the voting booth any less important.\u00a0 On the contrary.<\/p>\n
Voters turning out on Tuesday will shape their local leadership at a time when towns, counties and school districts are making seminal decisions and tackling out-sized budget deficits.<\/p>\n
Town supervisors chosen next week could decide whether the Horace Nye nursing home in Elizabethtown remains a county-run service.<\/p>\n
The Watertown mayor’s race could decide whether that city joins in the effort to push for an I-98 rooftop highway project.<\/p>\n
Elections in Plattsburgh could shape the future of the bus system and other programs.<\/p>\n
The good news in all this is that so many of these seats and public offices are being contested.\u00a0 There’s nothing more dreary than seeing politicians returned for another term without any challenge.<\/p>\n
Elections are ways for the public to learn about the issues, and an opportunity for leaders to lay out their best ideas.<\/p>\n
We’re seeing a lot of that this year.\u00a0 Many of the debates have been feisty, spirited and substantive.\u00a0 That’s a hopeful sign for our towns, a sign that people really care.<\/p>\n
With less than a week to go before election day, take a couple of hours this week to educate yourself about the races in your community.<\/p>\n
Then, on Tuesday, get out and cast your ballot.\u00a0 Another truth is that these local races often see low turnout, so your voice and your choice could have a big influence on the outcome.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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