What a difference a few months makes.
It was just last November many of us stood in long lines as we waited to cast our ballots in a historic election, one that resulted in the election of the nation’s first African-American president. The polls were packed.
Contrast that scene with yesterday’s primary election. Oh, there was plenty of waiting going on. There were poll workers waiting for voters.
I hope they weren’t holding their breath. As expected, the voters stayed away in droves. Turnout is believed to be in the vicinity of a thoroughly miserable 7 percent.
Granted, there wasn’t much sizzle in this election. There was no presidential vote. Not even a U.S. Senate, Congress or state Legislature race.
This was the municipal primary. All these people do is set the tax rates for your town and school. Apparently that’s not sexy enough to get people to the polls these days.
Here in Delaware County, both parties were nominating candidates for two open seats on County Council, and a new seat on the Court of Common Pleas.
Ax expected, an unendorsed Republican failed to dislodge the two favored GOP candidates running for council. No surprise there. A GOP challenge against incumbent Sheriff Joe McGinn also fell short.
I was interested to see whether current council member Linda Cartisano, running for a seat on the bench, could grab the nod in both parties.
Judicial candidates can cross-file. Her opponent did the same.
Nancy Rhoads Koons managed to hold serve in the Democratic Primary. That means she’ll tangle with Cartisano in the November general election.
In the council races, Republican incumbent Jack Whelan, joined by longtime state Rep. Mario Civera, will face Democrats Nancy Baulis and Keith Collins in the fall. A challenge inside the GOP from Barbara Murray fell woefully short. I still like the idea of the challenge, however. I say the more debate the better. Clearly there are factions of the Republican Party who are tired of the way their party operates in this county, and are ready to battle their own party leadership in seeking change.
Same thing happened in Brookhaven, where an upstart GOP faction mixed it up with the endorsed slate for borough council. They also came up short, but not before getting the party’s attention.
Now it’s on to November. Turnout has to be better then. It can’t get much worse.
What if they held an election and nobody came? Almost happened yesterday.
It was just last November many of us stood in long lines as we waited to cast our ballots in a historic election, one that resulted in the election of the nation’s first African-American president. The polls were packed.
Contrast that scene with yesterday’s primary election. Oh, there was plenty of waiting going on. There were poll workers waiting for voters.
I hope they weren’t holding their breath. As expected, the voters stayed away in droves. Turnout is believed to be in the vicinity of a thoroughly miserable 7 percent.
Granted, there wasn’t much sizzle in this election. There was no presidential vote. Not even a U.S. Senate, Congress or state Legislature race.
This was the municipal primary. All these people do is set the tax rates for your town and school. Apparently that’s not sexy enough to get people to the polls these days.
Here in Delaware County, both parties were nominating candidates for two open seats on County Council, and a new seat on the Court of Common Pleas.
Ax expected, an unendorsed Republican failed to dislodge the two favored GOP candidates running for council. No surprise there. A GOP challenge against incumbent Sheriff Joe McGinn also fell short.
I was interested to see whether current council member Linda Cartisano, running for a seat on the bench, could grab the nod in both parties.
Judicial candidates can cross-file. Her opponent did the same.
Nancy Rhoads Koons managed to hold serve in the Democratic Primary. That means she’ll tangle with Cartisano in the November general election.
In the council races, Republican incumbent Jack Whelan, joined by longtime state Rep. Mario Civera, will face Democrats Nancy Baulis and Keith Collins in the fall. A challenge inside the GOP from Barbara Murray fell woefully short. I still like the idea of the challenge, however. I say the more debate the better. Clearly there are factions of the Republican Party who are tired of the way their party operates in this county, and are ready to battle their own party leadership in seeking change.
Same thing happened in Brookhaven, where an upstart GOP faction mixed it up with the endorsed slate for borough council. They also came up short, but not before getting the party’s attention.
Now it’s on to November. Turnout has to be better then. It can’t get much worse.
What if they held an election and nobody came? Almost happened yesterday.
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