By Mark Pedersen
I live in Jefferson County, Missouri. I’m looking over my Sample Ballot for the upcoming Primary Election. Though the candidates may be different on your ballot, chances are, the format looks pretty much the same.
I saw something that I think bears discussion. If you still have the sample ballot that was mailed to you, you might want to take a second look. Let’s do a comparison of the “Republican”, “Democratic”, and the Libertarian portions.
The candidates for State Auditor and U.S. Representative have representation in all three. The State Senator and State Representative are represented by both Republican and Democratic parties. But notice the candidates that appear ONLY in the “Republican” portion.
Of course, the Libertarian, Green, and Independent Parties have their own ways of selecting THEIR candidates, so it’s possible that we won’t know their full complement of candidates until closer to November 2028.
But, the truth be told, if you’re not seeing representation in the Primary, you’re not going to see it in the General Election. Which means there will be elected positions on the ballot with only one candidate.
This is nothing new. I’ve seen this on every ballot for the last twenty years, and in other states where I have voted. And there is the problem.
City and County politics may seem inconsequential amid all the scary stuff coming from Washington, but I can’t begin to tell you just how important these local positions are. This is politics… literally in your own backyard.
When considering positions like Circuit Judge, Associate Circuit Judge, County Executive, and County Council Member, I can’t help but think about issues like Data Centers and how such important decisions could be swayed in favor of developers without balanced representation. Without someone who was elected by a majority.
I know. I’m pointing at a problem without an immediate solution. Simply stated, we need more good people running for local government.
Something to think about when you’re voting. After all, It’s not a democracy if we don’t have a choice.
