​Local and state races can have more impact

We’ve talked a lot and you’ve talked a lot about Bernie vs. Hillary and who should win. There are strong opinions on both sides. It’s an important race for the soul of the party and it will soon be decided.

But you know if you will really want to make a difference in your day-to-day life and have more of an impact, you should consider paying attention to and voting in local city races, as well as Legislative races. Sometimes hundreds of votes can decide a race. If more young people voted, it could have a huge impact on how the races are decided.

People tend to vote in higher numbers when there is a presidential race in the November general elections. Which means a certain percentage of people skip off-year elections when there is a lot still on the ballot.

And certainly numbers in city elections are lower as well. This year the Fargo city election takes place on the primary date June 14. Fargo voters will have a chance to weigh in on preferences for statewide candidates, congressional and state legislative races as well as races for City Commission, School Board and Park Board. The winners in the primary for statewide races will advance to the November election; the winners in the city election will be sworn into office.

Fargo is North Dakota’s most progressive city. Yet we have two members of the City Commission who are conservative and tend to eat, sleep and breathe opposing bike paths. Why is this? Perhaps it’s because many of you didn’t pay attention or vote in the last two city elections. You can change that on June 14.

A lot of you are outraged after the fact, when these two city commissioners, who were elected fair and square, do what they said they were going to do and oppose anything that spends money or that involves bicycles. It shouldn’t be a surprise. If you paid attention to what they said in the campaign, you would know what was coming. Yet turnout was so low, that a group of motivated Republicans could have a big impact despite party affiliation numbers being against them in the city of Fargo.

I guess my point is perhaps you should remember this next time those City Commissioners are up for election, but more importantly make sure they don’t end up with a conservative majority of 3 or 4 votes on the City Commission. Pay attention to who is running in the June 14th City Commission race and what they stand for. We will be doing a City Commission candidate questionnaire in the coming weeks. These candidates are accessible. Read what they put out there, what they are saying, go to a forum where they debate each other, rather than getting mad when one of them does something you don’t like -- after you didn’t vote in their race.

Legislative races are another election where your vote can have a big impact. Depending on the size of your district and the closeness of the race, less than a hundred votes could decide it. You and your friends getting together, getting educated, can have a big impact. Do you know what district you are in? Do you know who your state senator is? Do you know who is running for Legislature in your district? Better yet, do you know what they stand for?

Why does it matter? During the last legislative session, North Dakota legislators failed to pass discrimination protections for LGBT citizens in the state. Where do the candidates in your district stand on the matter? How did they vote, if they are incumbents who were in office last session? It will be voted on again. How will they vote?

North Dakota legislators also recently passed some of the most stringent anti-abortion laws in the country, causing futile legal challenges which cost the state millions of dollars for nothing other than an ideological joyride perpetuated by anti-abortion groups from Washington, D.C. How did your state senator and representative vote on the matter? Do they agree these laws were a waste of time? How did we become the laughing stock of the nation? Because a few thousand voters elected some of these people and have re-elected them since.

You can help change this. Don’t vote for people by name recognition. Spend some time, learn their positions, see if they represent you and vote accordingly. Too many people just pay attention to the highest-profile races, president and governor or senator, and don’t know anything about the rest.

Before you enter the polling place, take some time to research these races, which can have more of a direct impact on your life. And if you don’t, don’t complain when those elected do things which offend you.