Tuesday, November 03, 2009
Editorial: Go to the polls today
Virginia's registered voters have a lot at stake in today's elections.
From the RoundTable blog
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Please remember to vote today.
The polls open at 6 a.m. and close at 7 p.m. Somewhere in that 13-hour span should be a few moments when, if you've registered, you can exercise your most basic democratic right.
Virginians who do will know they've had their say in who should guide the commonwealth as it heads into even rougher economic seas: As a devastating two-year recession appears to be calming, the swell of the backwash still threatens to swamp core state services like education and public safety. The impact will be felt in every locality.
Voters statewide have a weighty decision in choosing the next governor. Whoever wins will immediately face the duty of cutting at least another $1 billion out of a battered state budget already reduced by $7 billion in the last year and a half. Which candidate can act more wisely?
It's up to you to make your choice known for governor and, lower on the ballot, for lieutenant governor and attorney general.
By district, voters will decide who to send to the Virginia House of Delegates, and thus help to determine whether it will continue to have a Republican majority, and do business as usual, or be shaken up by a shift of power to the Democrats.
Residents of Virginia's counties, as well as the town of Blacksburg, also will decide the makeup of their local governing boards and school boards -- each choice crucial as localities face more cuts in state funding and the likelihood of tax revenue declines of their own.
City residents will find elected constitutional officers on their ballots, and Christiansburg voters will be deciding whether to move town municipal elections from May to November.
Ultimately, voters are the government at every level. Have your say. Cast your ballot today.
