By Carolyn Martin (Director of Government Relations)
Summer is generally the time when you start to see people hanging outside of the local grocery store or library asking you to sign a petition to get an initiative on the ballot. (Yes, it’s that time again!) Depending on where you live, you might see some candidates on your ballot for school board or other local races, but mostly you will see initiatives dealing with taxes or amending the state Constitution.
Some people choose to sign the petitions with the attitude of putting everything on the ballot so “the people can decide.” While that might sound good, in practice, it is harmful. The turnout in odd year elections is usually lower than other elections, and the power of the vote is consolidated in fewer people — usually those who have a stake on either side of the issue. Ultimately, the vote comes down to who has the most money to convince the largest number of people to get out and vote the way they want them to vote.
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