Citizenship demands action - & it begins today

It was just a year ago that the nation went to the polls and elected a billionaire real estate mogul and reality TV host president of the United States.

Well, at least the Electoral College did.

Republican Donald Trump won. There, we said it, even if Democrat Hillary Clinton garnered about 3 million more votes. Trump has been president for a little less than nine months. Why does it seem so much longer?

The nation again will go to the polls today.

And we are certain of this. A whole lot fewer people will cast ballots than did a year ago.

That’s what happens when there is no big national race up for grabs. It’s unlikely anyone will have to stand in line tomorrow when Delaware County holds what is referred to as the “off-year” municipal election.

Up for grabs are two seats on County Council, a seat on the county Court of Common Pleas, and three county row offices – sheriff, controller and register of wills.

Voters also will be asked to vote on a slew of state judicial races, including a seat on the state Supreme Court.

There is a very important ballot question involving what is perennially one of the most pressing issues in Delaware County – property taxes.

Nationally there are two big governor’s races, in Virginia and New Jersey. Across the rivers, voters will select the replacement to controversial Republican Gov. Chris Christie.

So will there be a ‘Trump Factor’ in play at the polls today. No doubt Democrats would hope so.

Here in Delaware County, Democrats will be attempting to do something they have not done in four decades, that is capture a seat on the all-Republican County Council.

While Democrats now actually hold a 16,000-vote edge in county voter registrations, and have been successful in some statewide races as well as now routinely tilting Democratic in presidential and other national races, they have been unable to dent the fortress of Republican power here in the county. That would be the Media Courthouse.

No Democrat has been elected to County Council since the Home Rule Charter was enacted, doing away with mandated minority representation, back in the mid ‘70’s.

Today is a nuts and bolts election. It’s about party mechanics, and making sure all mechanisms are in place to get voters to the polls. It is something that for years Delaware County Republicans have excelled at.

So how many people will actually exercise their constitutional right today? Sadly, very likely a quarter of those eligible.

That probably doesn’t have anything to do with Donald Trump. It’s been a factor for years, when there is no presidential or other high-profile race on the ballot.

Consider these numbers. A year ago, in the midst of one of the most controversial, bitter elections in decades, only about 58 percent – a little more than half – of those eligible do so even bothered to vote.

Remove the “sizzle” of a presidential race, and the numbers go off a cliff.

The Knight Foundation found that in the 2014 mid-term elections, only about 36.3 percent cast ballots. That’s the lowest number since World War II.

We’d be stunned if today’s vote reaches that level. We’ll take the under. This does not have much to do with Donald Trump, although certainly the diminishing level of political discourse does not help.

This has been going on a lot longer than Donald Trump. The country has serious problems, and people are doubting that their elected officials are capable of addressing them.

The answer to that is to get even more people involved in the system, not less. That starts today. If you agree with Delaware County Republicans that they are successful on the local level because people like the quality of their candidates and are happy with the way things are being run, this is your chance to endorse more of the same.

If you side with Democrats in saying that county government needs to be more representative of the county’s shifting population, this is the election to make those feelings known. It’s your right. Exercise it. What you don’t have the right to do is complain if you don’t take part in the process.

Citizenship demands participation.

That begins today.

Here in Delaware County, Democrats will be attempting to do something they have not done in four decades, that is capture a seat on the all-Republican County Council.