The calendar is about to turn the page to August, and here we are, talking about November already. We’re talking about Tuesday, Nov. 3, to be precise. That’s the date for the General Election this year.
Yes, temperatures may still soar to the 90s outside right now, instead of being in the 60s, 50s or maybe even 40s — hopefully not — as they’re likely to be in November. Still, the time both we as voters and the candidates themselves spend now determine what our lives look like for the near future.
This fall, there is no “big name” seat up for election. Gov. Christie’s seat is not up for election, though he is doing some campaigning himself, as we all know.
There are no Senate or House of Representatives seats up for election in our state, either. But still, 2015 could prove to be an important year locally. That’s because, as is the case in odd-numbered years, all 80 seats in the General Assembly are up for election.
These elections are just as important, if not more so, on a local level than an election for president of the United States. These are the people who represent your interests.
Throughout New Jersey, municipal governing bodies and boards of education will also be holding elections to choose new members to represent the town. Mayors, councilmembers and school board members often have a greater impact on your daily life than your governor and president.
The governor and president may be the “sexier” post to vote for, but your trash pickup, your property taxes and your kids’ school curriculum have more of an impact on your day-to-day life, and those local post holders are the ones who control those areas the most.
So just because you won’t be voting for the next governor or the next president doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be in tune with this November’s elections and this November’s issues.
We at The Sun will be providing you as much election coverage as we can this fall, especially when there is a contested election at the municipal level.
If your town has a contested municipal election, expect a full, multi-week Meet the Candidates series where we’ll provide you detailed information about the election itself, as well as profiles of the candidates and their stances on the issues.
If you have any questions you’d like us to ask the candidates, feel free to email us at the address to the right.
So while you may still be making trips to the beach and thinking about back to school or the start of football instead of heading to the polls, don’t fall behind on the issues. What happens behind those curtains in November could have a profound impact on what happens in front of them for the foreseeable future.
