Vote Tuesday, May 6

What are the chances that a lottery ticket you buy might change your life? Not goodNancy Oates odds. But here’s something you can do that likely could change your life and everyone’s around you.

Go to the polls and vote.

Tuesday, May 6, is primary day in Orange County. The candidates we elect will make decisions on how our tax dollars are spent (and will we have to pay more), how safe our community will be and how efficiently justice is meted out, what becomes law in the state and how those laws are interpreted and implemented.

In the primary, we’ll vote for senator, at least one county commissioner, register of deeds, sheriff and N.C. Supreme Court associate judge. Some ballots also have U.S. House of Representative and county school board candidates.

View the sample ballot for your precinct here: http://www.co.orange.nc.us/elect/SampleBallot.asp. Find your voting precinct, then click on your party affiliation (R=Republican, L=Libertarian, D=Democrat, U=Unaffiliated). You’ll see your candidate options. If you haven’t done your research yet, you’re getting close to deadline. Think about your choices, about what the community might look like if your candidates win and lead us into the future. Then make time to go to the polls and VOTE.

Polls open at 6:30 a.m. on Tuesday, May 6, and close at 7:30 p.m. Don’t wait until the last minute. Your vote counts.
– Nancy Oates

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10 Comments

  1. Steve J

     /  May 5, 2014

    Nancy wrote: “In the primary, we’ll vote for senator, at least one county commissioner, register of deeds, sheriff and N.C. Supreme Court associate judge. ”

    This isn’t quite correct, Nancy. ‘We’ won’t vote for all these folks … you might.

    Many, many others have far less options. We are governed by people we cannot even hope to de-select.

    On my ballot, I can check off one of the several people running for US Senator in November, and, one of three people running for the NC Supreme Court.

    That’s it … two choices. If I wasn’t SO motivated, I’d be tempted to waive my voting privilege tomorrow.

    Due to the wholesale lack of democratic opportunity here in Orange County, nobody from other than the de facto single party ruling cabal would even try to run for the other positions you list.

    We all are the poorer for this lack of diversity.

    In fairness, this blog isn’t as dripping with hateful vitriol for Right-leaning people as some others are. Indeed, here you can sometimes find an occasional, slight glimmer of hopeful language, perhaps referring to the general wisdom of blindly increasing taxes under the guise of it ‘being the correct thing to do.’

    However, overall, we as a community need to be circumspect and ask ourselves, individually, how much each of us has contributed to the caustic environment resulting in the mono-polar local world of politics we face. Tomorrow.

  2. James Barrett

     /  May 5, 2014

    Steve, yes, a majority of citizens in OC have through the years overwhelmingly supported Democratic candidates. But everybody gets to vote. Just because no Republican has garnered enough votes does not in any way mean that anybody has a reduced right to vote. If you’re complaining about not being able to vote in the primary, then change your registration to unaffiliated next time and even the Democrats will welcome your vote in the primary. I really don’t see anyone doing anything that stymies democracy. I see a community that has a set of values that aligns better with one party today. But still there’s a way to be a part of that process for ANYONE who wishes to. And the only reason you have no hope of “de-selecting” that party is that they do a much better job of representing OC values than the alternatives. If you want to blame someone, blame those on your side who are out of step with a majority of the county.

  3. bonnie hauser

     /  May 5, 2014

    Regardless of your party – I hope you will vote for Robin Hudson in the non-partisan Supreme Court race. If you don’t already know, Robin is the incumbent, a democrat and a well respected jurist.

    Unexpectedly, two republicans are running against Robin which sends this race into a statewide primary. Robin was not prepared for this contest. The top two vote getters will face off in November. Art Pope is behind the republican challengers.

    Here’s where all our votes can count. Please vote for Robin Hudson for Supreme Court. OK OK- its alright if you vote for me too.

  4. Fred Black

     /  May 6, 2014

    Hard to get an accurate number, but some Republicans changed their affiliation to Unaffiliated so they can ask for the Democrat ballot and vote for OC Commissioners and the sheriff. Interestingly, some candidates were Republicans before they became Democrats.

  5. many

     /  May 6, 2014

    Since this is the first time we have had a contested election for sheriff in 32 years and the decision is being made in the primary; I would not be surprised or offended if voters or candidates changed their affiliation.

    Honestly, I find both parties and their politics distasteful and untrustworthy in the extreme.

    BTW you do not need a picture ID to vote today, or this fall, but you will in 2016.

  6. many

     /  May 6, 2014

    BTW Fred; Post hoc ergo propter hoc is false logic.

    I did a little digging and it turns out that none of the county commissioner candidates were ever republicans.

    From what I can tell two of the Sheriffs candidates were, but I can completely understand why they filed democrat given the history in the county.

  7. Nancy

     /  May 6, 2014

    And I learned today that no current employee of the sheriff’s office can run for election as sheriff, which explains why so many of the candidates are retired from the sheriff’s office.

  8. Fred Black

     /  May 6, 2014

    “Interestingly, some candidates were Republicans before they became Democrats.” Two running for sheriff were Republicans.

  9. many

     /  May 6, 2014

    Still false logic.

  10. Bruce Springsteen

     /  May 7, 2014

    James Barrett, you are living in dreamland. Do you really think that nobody in this area stymies democracy and that anybody can be a part of the process if they wish to? Really?

    When I read the comment that you ended up responding to I had an immediate reaction and it had nothing to do with being a Republican since I’ve never been one. Instead it had to do with being someone that took the step of publicly expressing political opinions (that had nothing to do with being Democrat or Republican) under my real name in the past and as a result will never do so again because of the reaction of powerful people to being challenged.

    If you actually think that nobody in this area stymies democracy then it just shows what a bubble of privilege you live in.

    But although power in Chapel Hill / Carrboro will use it’s position to crush any opposition regardless of party, let’s examine your claim that even Republicans are welcomed here.

    Consider a town that is overwhelmingly Republican, that regularly has campaign signs for Democrat politicians torn down, that has politicians running for local office that change their formal affiliation from Democrat to Republican because they know that running for office as a Democrat is a kiss of death, that protests a far left speaker to the degree of literally prevented him/her from publicly speaking his/her opinion and that spray paints “Obama” under the word “Stop” on Stop signs around town and then has it stay up for years without being removed.

    What adjectives would you use to describe such a town? Because whatever adjectives you use to describe it you have to use the same adjectives to describe this area.

    You talking about everyone being allowed to be a part of the process just shows how out of touch you are with the reality of other people.