The Way Different People View Politics And Elections

In case you didn’t know it or have been napping we are in the midst of primary election season in Georgia.

The May 22 primary is fast approaching and Georgia voters have some important decisions to make. Actually the primary has already arrived as early voting began last week.

In 2018 there is really no excuse not to vote. Certainly the “I don’t have time” excuse can no way be viewed as valid anymore. With several weeks of early voting (including some Saturdays) there are more days than ever to cast your ballot.

You can even request an absentee ballot be mailed to you and you no longer have to list a reason. A voter can simply request one, mark his or her choices and return it.

As with each election season I conduct an informal poll among people I know. Some colleagues have no clue there is even an election. Some have never registered to vote. Some are actually able to name a few candidates vying for certain offices.

And there is always one or two who respond by wanting to know who the current governor of our state is. Sigh.

The statewide race at the top of the ballot in 2018 is for the open governorship. With Nathan Deal finishing his second term he cannot seek re-election. There are six Republicans and two Democrats trying to win their party’s respective nominations. The survivors of those primaries will also have a Libertarian candidate in November.

It appears all but certain that current Lt. Governor Casey Cagle will at least make it into a runoff on the GOP side. A recent poll showed Cagle far ahead and it is not beyond impossible that he may win the primary outright. Chances are good, however, that with six candidates dividing the Republican vote, there will be a runoff.

Despite the way many people (those who care enough anyway to know there is an election) complain about the status quo and “politics as usual” it’s usually someone who has been in the political game for years (decades even) who rises to the top.

Current Secretary of State Brian Kemp is also competing in the GOP primary for governor and was in a tight race with Hunter Hill for the crucial second place position. Only one point separated the two in the poll I referred to earlier.

Others who have not been elected to statewide office trail the pack even though they are doing all they can to play up their outsider status.

While all statewide offices are important to citizens of our state (one of the most important ones in terms of your wallet is the Public Service Commission) it is the local elections that people should always pay close attention to.

Seats on local school boards, city councils and the board of commissioners are governed by a group of people who have a great influence on your life as well as your bottom line financially.

It is wise to learn as much as possible about candidates running for any office but especially those at the local level. They control your property taxes, school taxes and have more say over how much of your hard-earned money you actually take home each paycheck.

Also, it is wise to always take with a grain of salt candidates who simply use political talking points. In the race for Secretary of State, for example, there are many of the candidates who are bragging about things they believe in that have absolutely nothing to do with the day-to-day operation of that office.

As the actual primary date gets closer with each passing day, it is important that we all pay attention to these races and make educated choices. Being a previous office holder in no way qualifies someone to be elected to another office. And certainly any candidate who tries to use any office as a stepping stone to higher political gain should not be considered at all.

Monticello native Chris Bridges is a long-time newspaper columnist. He welcomes feedback from readers of The Monticello News at pchrisbridges@gmail.com.