Local Elections, Your Vote Counts!

The passion that gets exhumed by the electorate every four years to vote for President is unmistakable. Whether it's at work, the hair salon, the kids' soccer field or the local bar, personal opinions rear when it comes to the Presidential vote.

Stoking debate at every corner, even families argue over the dinner table as to which is the best presidential candidate; perhaps Dad is the lone conservative voice, while his opinionated left-leaning son is hot off the blogs and gearing up for a debate.

"I need to vote to protect my second amendment rights!" "We have to vote to make sure Roe v. Wade isn't overturned!"

It is these same hot-button issues nationwide which similarly set the stage here on Long Island, with close to 75% of the voting public in Nassau and Suffolk counties waiting on long lines on Election Day to vote for President.

That was 2004. That will be just as likely in 2008.

But while the media will have you believing that the 2008 Presidential Election is just around the corner (haven't we already seen the dozens of Presidential hopefuls debating), let's first look to the 2007 elections, which are in fact just a few short weeks away. In off years like 2005, a meager 27% of the voters on Long Island showed up to the polls to vote in their local election.

Sure, local elections may seem to lack the sexy issues that muster the zeal of the average voter. But we seem to forget that it's our local elected officials that have more of a direct impact on our daily life, especially when we consider meaningful quality of life issues like property taxes, park and beach maintenance, road repair, senior services, the quality of education in our schools, and the list goes on and on.

As many pundits like to put it, there's no Republican or Democrat way to pick up the garbage, only the right way. So with that, you don't need fiery polarized issues in order to take a look around at the quality of life in your Town and get out and vote this year in your Town elections. There's no question you're vote will certainly make a difference, whether it's a vote for change or a vote to maintain the status quo, there's no other way to say it than, locally you're vote counts!

-Anthony Manetta-