Even though this is an “off-year” election, that doesn’t mean skipping out on voting is a good call.
Voting is one of the key fundamentals of a functioning democracy. Typically, state Supreme Court retention races are not the most noteworthy, but we happen to all go to a university in a well-known swing state. If you’re curious why political texts ramp up during this time of year, that’s why.
We understand if Pennsylvania’s Supreme Court is not of much interest to you. However, it’s your state. The constituents of the state need to be involved in the decision-making process as much as possible.
It’s easy to forget what power lies at the local level, with everything going on up top at the federal level. While information and action seem to flow from the top at a never-ending pace, it should not act as something to distract voters in off-year elections.
Beyond the state Supreme Court, the race for Pittsburgh’s next mayor also took place and will have effects which you should immediately be able to see. After all, it is the mayor’s office and staff who decide on agendas affecting the city and university some of us call home. Pittsburgh’s administration has an impact, even down to what goes on here.
And if you decided to sit out this election yet are unhappy with the results, that is your own fault. Unless you have barriers blocking you from being able to vote or are too far away from your polling place, there’s no good excuse. If planned well, you can change your voting registration to be on Point Park’s campus so you can vote at the Human Services Building, which is less than a five-minute walk away from campus.
What if you don’t want to do that? Mail-in ballots make it easy, but again, this requires planning in advance. Don’t trip yourself up so you can’t participate in the democracy you are entitled to have a stake in.
As for those who took the time to vote on election day, thank you. Whether you only walked three minutes to your polling place, went back to your home neighborhood in Pittsburgh to vote or even went back somewhere far away in the state just to vote, the editorial board of The Globe appreciates your efforts.
Just as we always say, The Globe will never endorse individual politicians, groups or movements, but we will always strongly recommend voting as a basic principle.
Whether you voted this year or didn’t, make sure to have a plan for next year’s election. Simple steps like these get participation numbers up and make sure that the people who should be representing us have the chance to do so. No matter how much gets spent on attack ads against a candidate or annoying texts that get ignored, it’s you who has the ultimate say. Not any massive group, superPAC or think tank. Though they might try to sway you, keep to your principles.