I spent most of the dry part of Sunday afternoon doing last-minute door knocking for a friend. All of my neighbors were friendly (save one very notable exception).
All were surprised when I explained that voting would take a long time this Tuesday.
Yes, the ballot is long and complicated.
In my part of St. Louis County that’s only part of the story.
You see, in their Republican-led wisdom, the county election authorities (led by failed 2014 county executive candidate Rick Stream) reduced the number of polling places in Oakville from what we had this August. Gone near me are a middle school and a friendly church. That means my polling place, Wohlwend Elementary School, now has close to 3,000 voters.
I’ve heard reports that other county polling places used in the primary won’t be active this week, despite expectations for a large turnout.
Fortunately, Mehlville schools are not in session that day, meaning there will be parking at Wohlwend. And, the school gym is large enough that – with an orderly zig-zag – a hundred or so people can be out of the weather.
Unfortunately, it is very possible that it may take hours to vote.
Now, Oakville has been reliably Republican, alas, for several election cycles. Yet, it is worth noting that better than seven of ten Oakvillians voted against Right To Work.
Knowing the question, then, is the answer,
- Bureaucratic Ineptitude
- Voter Suppression
- a + b?
With the election almost on us I wasn’t surprised when my wife’s Facebook feed picked-up a nasty video ad claiming 95th District Democrat candidate Mike Walter is an “extremist” dedicated to ‘government running all health care.’ Funny how that was a surprise to Mike when we talked.
(For the record, Mike was also surprised the other day to learn he supported the city-county merger.)
The ad was paid for by the House Republican Campaign Committee [ https://mec.mo.gov/MEC/Campaign_Finance/CF11_CommInfo.aspx https://www.facebook.com/hrccmo/ ] which is dumping hundreds of thousands of dollars to support Republicans and attack Democrats – facts be damned. Jeff Roe’s Axiom Strategies [ https://axiomstrategies.com/ ] cashes a lot of the HRCC’s checks.
Actually, Mike Walter ought to feel lucky. The HRCC, per current filings, has only allocated a few thousand dollars to attack him. Bill Otto, a Democrat running for House District 65 in northeast St. Charles County, has been the target of around $100,000 of the HRCC’s wrath.
Anyway, as an especially vicious campaign cycle winds down just remember that ugly ads and dirty tricks aren’t confined to the top of the ballot. In 2018 no race is too small to be decided by issues, integrity and common sense. No, every race is contest of distortions, lies and fearmongering.
Remember to vote Tuesday.
Glenn