Primary Elections Are Important, Too

I voted in today’s primary election. It was easy to do my civic duty, thanks to the Internet. No, I couldn’t vote online, but last night I found my polling location and list of candidates on the Ramsey County Elections website. Then I Googled the candidates’ names to find their websites and news articles about them, so I could make a relatively informed choice. This morning I walked to my polling location, less than a mile from my house, and cast my votes. I put my ballot in that fancy ballot-counting machine, got my I Voted sticker, and walked back home.

Voter turnout is incredibly low for primary elections (I was the only voter in the school gymnasium at the time), but I feel like I don’t really have any business complaining about our choice of elected officials if I’m not willing to participate in the process that decides which candidates make it on the final ballot. We’re not just picking federal and state legislative candidates today, we’re picking judicial candidates. Yep, we vote for judges, too. The top two candidates for the two Minnesota Supreme Court seats on the ballot will go head-to-head in November. Chief Justice Lorie Gildea is facing off against Dan Griffith and Jill Clark, while Associate Justice David Stras is up against Alan Nelson and Tim Tingelstad.

Click here to find your polling location and sample ballot.