Local election issues?

[mebison]

Aside from typical congressional elections, what kind of local issues are on your ballots this year? Two interesting ones in IA:

IA Supreme Court Retention: Apparently, we can "flip the ballot over" and mark whether each of the supreme court justices should be retained. I'm not clear on the details of this, and whether its a usual item on the ballot or something different, but its being pushed as a referendum on gay marriage in IA. i.e. if you don't think that gay marriage should have been made legal in IA, vote out the justices that made it legal. I don't think I like politicizing the courts that overtly.

Conservation Trust: Kind of strange to me, but there is a referendum on requiring that any future sales tax increase must set aside part of the tax proceeds for conservation and water issues. I'm all for conservation efforts, but this is a shady, back-door way to approach funding and should be voted down.

[89Hen]

Brought my election mailer with me to work a week ago so I could know what was coming up. That said, there are some elections I will not vote in because I have no idea who the people are running for Board of Education - District 5 or Register of Wills.

We do have several continuance in office votes.

Questions this year are VERY mundane...

First state question is a mandatory question that comes up every 20 years asking if we should have a constitutional convention. - NAY

Second is raising the amount for which you will get a jury in a civil proceeding from $10,000 to $15,000. - YEA

Third is making it mandatory that a candidate for Orphans' Court Judges be attorneys admitted to the MD bar. Currently you don't have to be an attorney. - WTF cares?

The bigger question is a county one... Ambulance fees. - YEA

[andy7171]

Aren't we voting wfor having slots in Arundel Mills Mall? Or is that just Anne Arundel County? With all the money for tv and radio ads trying to block it, it's surprizing that would be a County only issue.

[mebison]

Brought my election mailer with me to work a week ago so I could know what was coming up. That said, there are some elections I will not vote in because I have no idea who the people are running for Board of Education - District 5 or Register of Wills.

We do have several continuance in office votes.

Questions this year are VERY mundane...

First state question is a mandatory question that comes up every 20 years asking if we should have a constitutional convention. - NAY

Second is raising the amount for which you will get a jury in a civil proceeding from $10,000 to $15,000. - YEA

Third is making it mandatory that a candidate for Orphans' Court Judges be attorneys admitted to the MD bar. Currently you don't have to be an attorney. - WTF cares?

The bigger question is a county one... Ambulance fees. - YEA

Oh yeah, we have one of those, as well. 10 year cycle for us. Nay on that, too, methinks.

I guess I'm contrary on the ballot this year. Can I just vote "no" for all electoral positions as well, rather than choose one?

[89Hen]

Aren't we voting wfor having slots in Arundel Mills Mall? Or is that just Anne Arundel County? With all the money for tv and radio ads trying to block it, it's surprizing that would be a County only issue.

Not on my ballot.

[grizzaholic]

Brought my election mailer with me to work a week ago so I could know what was coming up.

Shouldn't you be working at work?

[89Hen]

Brought my election mailer with me to work a week ago so I could know what was coming up.

Shouldn't you be working at work?

Go fuck a wolf.

[grizzaholic]

Shouldn't you be working at work?

Go fuck a wolf.

[COBBLESTONE]

1. Changing the state's official name by removing the "and Providence Plantations" part from the end.

2. Watching a candidate for governor go from first place to third place in the polls after telling the President of the United States to "shove it".

You can't make this stuff up folks.

[HI54UNI]

Aside from typical congressional elections, what kind of local issues are on your ballots this year? Two interesting ones in IA:

IA Supreme Court Retention: Apparently, we can "flip the ballot over" and mark whether each of the supreme court justices should be retained. I'm not clear on the details of this, and whether its a usual item on the ballot or something different, but its being pushed as a referendum on gay marriage in IA. i.e. if you don't think that gay marriage should have been made legal in IA, vote out the justices that made it legal. I don't think I like politicizing the courts that overtly.

Conservation Trust: Kind of strange to me, but there is a referendum on requiring that any future sales tax increase must set aside part of the tax proceeds for conservation and water issues. I'm all for conservation efforts, but this is a shady, back-door way to approach funding and should be voted down.

All judges come up for a retention vote every so often. Usually it's not a big deal and the judges get 70-80-90% yes votes. This time because of the Iowa Supreme Court's gay marriage ruling it has become a big deal. Three of the supreme court members are on the ballot this year. Hopefully they don't get thrown out but I think they might. The only plus is the judges are on the back of the ballot. A lot of people are too stupid to flip it over or too lazy to fill it out.

The conservation trust is a bunch of crap. In general it is a good idea to protect the money like our gas taxes are protected. But the way they set it up sucks. I hope this one crashes and burns.

Another one is a vote on whether or not to have a constitutional convention to look at changes to the convention. The Jesus freaks want to have one because that is the ONLY way they MIGHT have a chance to do something about gay marriage in the near future. They forget that it also opens it up to all kinds of other stuff. Plus there is no guarantee that anything will even come of it. Hopefully this one is a "no" as well.

[mebison]

Aside from typical congressional elections, what kind of local issues are on your ballots this year? Two interesting ones in IA:

IA Supreme Court Retention: Apparently, we can "flip the ballot over" and mark whether each of the supreme court justices should be retained. I'm not clear on the details of this, and whether its a usual item on the ballot or something different, but its being pushed as a referendum on gay marriage in IA. i.e. if you don't think that gay marriage should have been made legal in IA, vote out the justices that made it legal. I don't think I like politicizing the courts that overtly.

Conservation Trust: Kind of strange to me, but there is a referendum on requiring that any future sales tax increase must set aside part of the tax proceeds for conservation and water issues. I'm all for conservation efforts, but this is a shady, back-door way to approach funding and should be voted down.

All judges come up for a retention vote every so often. Usually it's not a big deal and the judges get 70-80-90 yes votes. This time because of the Iowa Supreme Court's gay marriage ruling it has become a big deal. Three of the supreme court members are on the ballot this year. Hopefully they don't get thrown out but I think they might. The only plus is the judges are on the back of the ballot. A lot of people are too stupid to flip it over or too lazy to fill it out.

The conservation trust is a bunch of crap. In general it is a good idea to protect the money like our gas taxes are protected. But the way they set it up sucks. I hope this one crashes and burns.

Another one is a vote on whether or not to have a constitutional convention to look at changes to the convention. The Jesus freaks want to have one because that is the ONLY way they MIGHT have a chance to do something about gay marriage in the near future. They forget that it also opens it up to all kinds of other stuff. Plus there is no guarantee that anything will even come of it. Hopefully this one is a "no" as well.

Sounds like we're on the same page. I'm kinda busy for voting, why don't you just ask for two ballots when you go and put one in for me!

[clenz]

All judges come up for a retention vote every so often. Usually it's not a big deal and the judges get 70-80-90 yes votes. This time because of the Iowa Supreme Court's gay marriage ruling it has become a big deal. Three of the supreme court members are on the ballot this year. Hopefully they don't get thrown out but I think they might. The only plus is the judges are on the back of the ballot. A lot of people are too stupid to flip it over or too lazy to fill it out.

The conservation trust is a bunch of crap. In general it is a good idea to protect the money like our gas taxes are protected. But the way they set it up sucks. I hope this one crashes and burns.

Another one is a vote on whether or not to have a constitutional convention to look at changes to the convention. The Jesus freaks want to have one because that is the ONLY way they MIGHT have a chance to do something about gay marriage in the near future. They forget that it also opens it up to all kinds of other stuff. Plus there is no guarantee that anything will even come of it. Hopefully this one is a "no" as well.

Sounds like we're on the same page. I'm kinda busy for voting, why don't you just ask for two ballots when you go and put one in for me!

I ended up more or less doing TBH's absentee ballot for her.

The radio commercials for ousting those three judges is appaulingly bad. It goes something like this:

Girl: Have you heard about the three supreme court justices up for reelction?
Guy: No, what about them
Girl: They forced gay marriage on Iowa, and we need to vote them out to protect Iowa's values
Guy: I agree and I'll say more stupid bullshit that makes no sense if actually examined



Yeah, it's dumb.

[Rob Iola]

1. Changing the state's official name by removing the "and Providence Plantations" part from the end
...

Here in Virginia I'm surprised we don't have a ballot question on adding the "and Plantations" part to our state, er, commonwealth name...

[Ivytalk]

1. Changing the state's official name by removing the "and Providence Plantations" part from the end
...

Here in Virginia I'm surprised we don't have a ballot question on adding the "and Plantations" part to our state, er, commonwealth name...

Speaking of Virgins, we're debating in DE whether Ms. O'Donnell really is one.

[HI54UNI]

All judges come up for a retention vote every so often. Usually it's not a big deal and the judges get 70-80-90 yes votes. This time because of the Iowa Supreme Court's gay marriage ruling it has become a big deal. Three of the supreme court members are on the ballot this year. Hopefully they don't get thrown out but I think they might. The only plus is the judges are on the back of the ballot. A lot of people are too stupid to flip it over or too lazy to fill it out.

The conservation trust is a bunch of crap. In general it is a good idea to protect the money like our gas taxes are protected. But the way they set it up sucks. I hope this one crashes and burns.

Another one is a vote on whether or not to have a constitutional convention to look at changes to the convention. The Jesus freaks want to have one because that is the ONLY way they MIGHT have a chance to do something about gay marriage in the near future. They forget that it also opens it up to all kinds of other stuff. Plus there is no guarantee that anything will even come of it. Hopefully this one is a "no" as well.

Sounds like we're on the same page. I'm kinda busy for voting, why don't you just ask for two ballots when you go and put one in for me!

I've already voted otherwise I would.

[SuperHornet]

I find it amazing how local libs are using "real people" to paint average conservatives as "too radical."