That's too bad. Not surprising though. Getting people involved in local politics is key to getting this country on a good track.

I wish Presidents/Lawmakers were elected by each state's legislature. This would make citizens morel likely to consider local politics and hold lawmakers far more accountable. We used to do that, before the government gave in to the bankers.

"I wish Presidents/Lawmakers were elected by each state's legislature. "

Senators were elected by State legislatures until 1913. Major problem was candidates were chosen in smoky rooms, and it was a system of "the fine Cotton Senator from Mississippi" or "the distinguished Railroad Senator from Ohio".

If we think Senators are corrupt now because of campaign contributions, imagine what it was like when Senators basically worked for the corporations and weren't accountable to the public directly.

Neither party has any interest in a fully engaged citizenry or we'd have laws that made election participation mandatory, and hold elections over a number of days, and through a weekend. It's hard enough for the parties to figure out which way the wind is blowing with 50% of the voting age population, it would be too confusing if any more participated.

There was an election here last week, and I didn't go. The big vote was a property tax increase, and since I'm renting my home, and don't feel like voting to increase taxes on other people, I didn't show up.

"The big vote was a property tax increase, and since I'm renting my home, and don't feel like voting to increase taxes on other people, I didn't show up."

What? There was more than one way to vote, wasn't there?

Five comments, and no one has yet taken this one on:

"Furthermore, in the ranking of importance in our daily lives, aren't local politics actually more important than state or national politics? Or at least as important? I observed to my wife the other day (and to my students) that while we (she and I) know quite a bit (compared to the average citizen) about national politics, we know a great deal less about state and local doings. Shame on us indeed."

Granted, there's health care to argue about.

I've never missed voting in an election.