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Politics & Government

Voting Down Party Lines v. Splitting the Ticket

The pros and cons of voting for individual candidates over following the party line

Let me say upfront that I’m a registered Republican.

I owned my own business for years and my husband has owned his businesses for close to four decades. I believe in free enterprise and minimal government interference. I also relate strongly to the history of this country that continues to demonstrate that anyone can go from having nothing to having it all and that the sky is the limit with imagination, hard work and all the advantages America has to offer.

To me, the Republican credo just seems more in line with our beliefs and needs.

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Having said that, I find myself voting for individual candidates over the party line at both national and local levels, which results in a split party vote.

Part of my reasoning is my belief that those who deserve to be in office due to their integrity, hard work, past record and current platform, should get my vote as opposed to someone who just got lucky by being on the ‘right’ ticket.

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My second rationale is that I like the checks and balances inherent in the two-party system and like to see that represented in votes on all critical issues.

British historian John Emerich Edward Dalberg Acton said "Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely." 

I like to see both sides represented on issues, a strenuous debate and then the vote go the right way as a result of that debate.

But over the last few years I have questioned my voting method.

As many times as national and local politicians say they don’t believe in voting issues on party lines, or that they don’t follow the traditional party beliefs, I have been disappointed to watch them constantly fold under the pressures of the party machine. 

Moreover I’ve watched as-both nationally and sometimes here in Harrison, votes are cast strictly down party lines, effectively crippling forward movement proposed by whichever party is in the minority, whether the initiative is good or bad for the populace supposedly being represented.

And multiply that a hundredfold from now until Harrison’s November election—let’s face it, what politician wants to see a proposal achieved by the other side in the months leading up to an election?

One council member recently told me “Forget anything happening until after the election, it’s just not going to pass a vote no matter what the proposal is.”

Unfortunately that results in a four to five month political stalemate that basically holds the town and residents hostage until after the election.

It seems wasteful and childish at a time when we can afford neither, but those are the political realities we face. Part of this is no doubt due to the realities of the election process itself.

To be elected, barring a primary runoff, you have to be nominated by the party and graced with their endorsement. Plus, a large part of the election funds are raised by the parties donated by loyal supporters and there is an expectation of quid pro quo, or paying it back, by being a loyal party player.

There is also peer pressure from team members asking for your support on issues of importance to them, with the promise that they will have your back when a vote comes up that you have a particular attachment to.

It’s easy to see why it's so hard to say 'no' given the pressures inherent in political office.

So what should a voter do as a result?

Most of you know that I’m a true optimist. I believe that anything can change for the better. Living in a small community we get to know our candidates personally and are able to watch their actions up close.For that reason, I feel compelled to continue voting for the individual candidates over the party ticket.

While I may in the future vote the party line in federal elections, locally I’m going to continue to split my vote to select the individual candidates I believe would be our best representatives.

I want to believe that our local town candidates can, and will, vote strictly on the basis of what they believe is best for our town. Many of the current candidates are promising that as part of their platform— I’m ready to hold them to it.

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