Sue Small-Kreider
In Motion Staff Writer
Maybe I grew up in an atypical household because my parents often said that they agreed not to influence each other on who to vote for in elections. While I know my mother was an active member of the Republican Party and the local chapter of the League of Women Voters, I do not know what party(ies) my father supported.
He would say he always voted for the best person for the job and it didn’t matter what political party affiliation they had. Both my mother and my sister when she was old enough, worked at their local polling places as judges and election officials. My father and I would go to other local polling places to phone-in their election results to the League of Women Voters office.
So, now when I try to decide how to vote in the coming election, I shift through all the postcards and letters that come into our house. We get mailings from both Democrats and Republicans. I sort them by who paid for the piece – candidate or political action groups — so I can see what each candidate is saying about themselves, as well as their opponents and what political action groups are claiming. Then I go to the internet to research candidates on such websites as the League of Women Voters and various newspapers throughout the state.
I try not to see TV ads or read social media posts for candidates: A) I don’t want the visuals; B) The wealthiest candidates tend to have the most ads; and C) Social media? I just don’t trust it.
If I have time, I might listen to debates on television or radio, which is easy to do for presidential and state elections, but hard for the more local offices.
When the ballot arrives in the mail, I am first thankful for living in a state that allows voting by mail and second, that I have the luxury of being able to research every name and proposal on it before voting. Members of my household take different approaches to voting. One generally has it in the mail within a week of receiving it. Another waits until almost the last possible day to mail it in at the main Deland Post Office.
On election night as the results roll in, everyone watches the TV and checks the internet at my house. One person takes out his list of who he voted for and makes check marks for his winners and Xs for his losers. Another person just listens to the results. Occasionally, discussion ensues when a candidate that no one voted for wins. Someone eventually says, they are tired and goes to bed before all the races are called.
I don’t know how anyone else’s household handles voting and election nights, but I hope that everyone who is eligible to vote in our country, takes the time to get registered, does some research on the candidates and ballot proposals, and then votes either by mail, at early voting places or at their official polling place on election day. Why do I hope this? Because I want the best person for job to win.