I Have No Idea How To Vote

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  Aug 22, 2016 4:50 AM GMT

  Not talking about the November General Election, my choice is pretty obvious.
  
  But early voting has opened for Florida primaries. And they're flooded with tons of candidates for county judgeships, and school boards, and all kinds of boards I didn't even know existed.
  
  I've met some of these judicial candidates at gay functions we've attended, but does their appearing at them make them more qualified than anyone else? And I haven't a clue about school boards.
  
  We used to get a "cheat sheet" from our attorney, but now as Vice Mayor of Fort Lauderdale he's ethically prevented. So I dunno what to do.
  
  We never miss voting, primary or general, but I really just don't know these candidates this time. I would be misusing my vote to just select a name at random.
  
  Would I be a bad citizen to sit this one out? We get a local daily paper, but there's nothing that's giving me a clue about these things.

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  Aug 22, 2016 5:23 AM GMT

  Just check all the republican boxes and you'll be fine!!
  
  All good independents like you VOTE republican!!!!

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  Aug 22, 2016 12:07 PM GMT

  The Internet is a powerful thing. You could do your own independent research. You'd be surprised how much personal and professional information is out there. For example, I always do research on particular congressional staff members before I meet with them and their "bosses" (more so on the House side v the Senate side because there's just too many of them to know and/or keep track of). Good luck.

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  Aug 22, 2016 12:58 PM GMT

  2BFree saidJust check all the republican boxes and you'll be fine!!
  
  All good independents like you VOTE republican!!!!

  
  Who ever said I'm an Independent? I'm a Democrat. And until my 40s a Republican like my parents. But most of these offices that perplex me have no party affiliation, they're for board positions or judgeships. Plus a number are party primaries.
  
  In fact, that's about the only one I do know, with Debbie Wasserman-Schultz facing some other Democrat, prior to the November general election against the Republicans. Having known and liked her for years I will vote for her. But the other candidates I don't know at all.
  
  So for Debbie's sake I'll likely vote this week after all, if she's back in our Congressional District again. The State Republicans keep redistricting her to cause her and other Dems to lose, and the courts reverse them, then the Repubs appeal or simply refuse to comply, bringing more lawsuits, so it's never clear exactly what the districts are here from month to month. I guess that's one way to win elections when you don't have the votes, and this IS Florida, after all, home of the rigged elections.
  
  But I remain unsure for many other races. I hate leaving my ballot partially blank. Still, as I think about it, I know some other races that interest me. Because speaking of our dishonest Republican State Legislature I believe a Democratic friend we've known for years may be in our State House district this election. Again, these districts change with confusing frequency.
  
  And locally our city commission has got about a dozen people vying for rather fewer seats coming open, and we support 2 of the incumbents. In fact, I strongly & repeatedly urged one we know to run for reelection, when she had said she wanted to step down. But she's very good & effective, was honored by our Florida Equality with an awards dinner for being an outstanding elected official from the LGBT community, and I'd feel guilty if I subsequently failed to vote for her, having perhaps had an influence on her decision to run again.
  
  So OK, I guess I'm roped into voting, even if over half my ballot will be left blank. Cause I still don't know who to vote for the "Board To Place Things On Top Of Other Things" and these other vital positions.

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  Aug 22, 2016 1:45 PM GMT

  judges
  An "office of attorney regulation", usually a state run organization. Maybe run by your state bar association. Can ranking judges performances new this year, maybe your state has the same and is ranking judges on performance:
  http://www.coloradojudicialperformance.gov
  
  vote by mail is the primary voting method and the Colorado is phasing out walk up voting. The mail ballots here go out October 16th. That early, there is less information out there:
  -normally if you google the candidate by their name you might get a bio.
  -local and state level Democratic organizations have links to web sites
  
  there is low voter interest in the local issues, lots of bitching tho.
  
  

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  Aug 22, 2016 2:05 PM GMT

  pellaz said
  vote by mail is the primary voting method and the Colorado is phasing out walk up voting. The mail ballots here go out October 16th. That early, there is less information out there:
  -normally if you google the candidate by their name you might get a bio.
  -local and state level Democratic organizations have links to web sites

  
  Our voting location is barely a mile away, in the City Hall meeting room, very easy for us. Usually no big lines, except for the November General, you walk right in and out. And there's a week of early voting (absentee mail is earlier for those who apply, but actually more of a hassle), and if you show up in the morning even the General isn't bad.
  
  Previously would last 2 weeks, but the State Republicans ended that, wanted to end it entirely, actually, when studies suggested poorer working people and minorities were the main users. You know, in other words: likely Democratic voters.
  
  But as I wrote earlier above, if you don't have the votes, then you gotta do something else to win. Like redistrict your Party into victory, and block your opponent's demographic groups from voting in the first place. Hence Republican efforts to enact unnecessary voter ID laws, introduce other obstacles for new voter registration, reduce the number and times for polling stations, disqualify college students from voting, etc.
  

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• Destinharbor
  
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  Aug 22, 2016 3:24 PM GMT

  The local newspaper is a Right-wing rag that focuses on local arrests and pedophile articles. They seem to love that. But they do publish a short synopsis of each candidate's resume and a short statement for each. I imagine your paper there does, too. While it is hardly in-depth analysis, usually one candidate is clearly the one for me. Other than that, I will note who neighbors are supporting and, for example, if they have a Trump sign in the yard, I'm pretty sure I won't like the other candidates they support. The Right uses code words because they have no platform so they're easy to spot. Fire district candidates who use them automatically lose my vote. Other than that, just read the bios.

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  Aug 23, 2016 4:48 PM GMT

  Not a real Trump fan but given the alternative...
  
  

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• roadbikeRob
  
  Posts: 18147
  
  
  Aug 24, 2016 12:53 PM GMT

  Avoid the corrupt, incompetent Democratic Party entirely and than you should have no problems

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