As Election Day draws near, the number of people registering to vote continues to climb.
The latest tally shows 32,691 registered voters in town.
Democrats claim the allegiance of 13,652 while Republicans trail with 5,454.
The number of unaffiliated voters stands at 13,542, just a tad shy of the Democratic tally.
There are 43 people who signed on with a minor party.
Republican Registrar Ellie Klapatch said the numbers are "going to be higher" by the time the voter rolls are closed.
Though I suspect few of this blog's readers are not registered, if anybody's interested, the deadline for in-person registration is October 28, though there's no reason to wait that long.
Mail-in forms have to be postmarked by October 21.
And let me add that failing to pick a party when you register is pointless. If you sign on with a party, you can vote in primaries for that party. If you remain unaffiliated, you simply leave it entirely to the political parties to pick the candidates for you.
Since the primaries are often the most interesting matchups, why would you pass up the chance to participate in them?
It's fine to be independent-minded and vote for the candidate, not the party. I certainly vote for hopefuls from both sides of the aisle. But that's not a reason to steer clear of picking a party. The only reason to do that is if you trust the Republicans, Democrats, Greens and such to select the candidates for you.
*******
Copyright 2008. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
5 comments:
Another of those moments when we are in agreement Steve.
Wrong. I think people should register as Democrats or Republicans so they can help pick a party's candidates. I don't care which one they pick.
If I thought Republicans were irrelevant -- a ridiculous notion, by the way -- why would I bother to write about them? They are certainly not evil.
My own beliefs are pretty simple - I want politicians to preserve this great nation and our freedoms, to be honest and truthful, to tell the people everything possible and to be nice to journalists. ;)
No you don't Steve. You want national healthcare and higher taxes for the wealthy. You want more spending on public education and social programs. You are most likely against privitization of services and I'll bet you're pro-union.
Wow, some anonymous person apparently knows more about what I think than I do. Cool.
You may be a liberal Democrat --- most reporters are, I think -- but you have always been fair to the Republicans in Bristol. I know I am not alone in appreciating that you do not let any bias you may have leach into your stories.
Post a Comment