Though many people may not know it, today, November 3, is Election Day. Judicial races are occurring at both the local and state level that will have an important impact on the Montgomery County and Delaware County communities and, by extension, on the bi-college community. With this in mind, we encourage everyone registered in Pennsylvania to get out and vote today.
There are several different judicial elections taking place today: the Pennsylvania Supreme Court race, the Pennsylvania Superior Court race, Pennsylvania Court of Common Pleas races for our districts, and finally, the Pennsylvania Magisterial District Court races for our districts. Of particular importance is the Court of Common Pleas race in Montgomery County where an unprecedented seven judgeships are up for election.
Simply put, all of the candidates in today’s races have been lawyers for decades and are now looking for the chance to help govern Montgomery and Delaware Counties. They will hear cases that are both civil and criminal and will consider everything from parking tickets to assault or murder.
The selection of these candidates is vital for several different reasons. First and foremost, as members of Montgomery and Delaware Counties, we should decide who sits on our courts. These people are the ones before whom any one of us would go if we were to contest a speeding ticket, be in a car accident, or, say, be busted for underage drinking at a certain party. Although we obviously all hope we’ll never find ourselves in a courtroom under any of these or other circumstances, it’s also crucial that we have a say in electing fair and balanced judges just in case.
Many of the candidates running today would serve a term of ten years or longer, so our votes in today’s election will decide who will help to govern members of the bi-college community for decades to come. Just as we offer to participate on faculty search committees to choose new professors at Bryn Mawr and Haverford, we should also jump at the chance to select leaders in our larger community. We are responsible for electing officials to serve future generations of Bryn Mawr and Haverford students, and that duty should not be neglected.
Finally, it’s important that members of the bi-college community vote today because we really can win or lose a race for any given candidate. When asked why they don’t vote, one of the chief complaints of non-voters is their belief that their votes don’t matter. They are just one of the many, and their individual vote will not sway any race. In today’s local elections, those assumptions are patently false. On Election Day in 2007, the most recent year with only local elections, several area races were decided by only a few votes. According to the Save Ardmore Coalition, which reported all of the data from that day, a school board race was decided by 11 votes. In Radnor the commissioner’s race came down to 200 votes. Finally, another area commissioner’s race was won and lost by a mere three votes.
All in all, these races are significant. The elected officials will serve for a long time, and they will be the ones judging us if we ever find ourselves in a courthouse. While it would be easier not to vote, we encourage all community members to take the Smart Women Vote shuttle at Bryn Mawr or to carpool or walk together at Haverford in order to cast their votes. We have the chance to have an impact on this Election Day. What it comes down to is that there are plenty of strong reasons to vote and no good reason not to.
Polls will be open today from 7 a.a. until 8 p.m. Bryn Mawr community members vote at the Bryn Mawr Presbyterian Church across from Harcum College. Haverford community members vote at Coopertown Elementary School.
To learn more about the races happening today, visit www.smartvoter.org/pa.
Staff editorials are the consensus opinion of the Editorial Board, whose 26 members are listed on Page 2. Maddie Hoagland-Hanson, Michael Novinson, and Emily Tartanella stood outside of consensus.
This article is © 2008 The Bi-College News. The material on this page is free for personal or educational use, but may not be reproduced, reprinted, republished, redistributed, or otherwise transmitted to a third party without the express written permission of The Bi-College News, 370 Lancaster Ave, Haverford, PA 19041.
Editor's note: Articles that appear in the Last Word section are works of satire.
- The Importance of Student Voting on Election Day
- We Need to Vote, and We Need to Vote Strategically
- Mawrters Involved in State Elections
- Staff Editorial
- Voting confusion allieviated by combining voting stations
- Scott Simpson, Will Carroll elected HC Student Council Presidents
- SGA Treasurer Elections Fail
- Students Need to Care About Local Elections
- SGA elections being re-run due to online glitches
Related articles
