Editorial: No endorsements, but a plea to vote

We don’t do endorsements at Triad City Beat, a decision born from the realization of the demographics of our market that took hold when we started this thing in 2014 and remains true today: The Triad is a political fault line, and the field of opinion — even among our select readership — is as wide as the White Street Landfill.

Instead we bring you a primer on the candidates every election season, with facts and quotes that serve as a Rorschach of sorts. When we say a candidate favors charter schools and open-carry laws, or a living wage and a police review board with subpoena power, it means different things to different people.

Facts, we feel, are more useful than our opinions when it comes to elections in the Triad.

We’re not going to use this space to convince the people of Greensboro and High Point — the only elections in our coverage area this go-round — to vote one way or the other. But we’re not above issuing another call to action here in the editorial slot.

You need to vote. Yes, you. And yes, now.

Early voting in the primary starts today, and primaries can be even more important than the general election in city council races, because they determine who the candidates will be.[pullquote]Early voting for the Oct. 10 primary runs through Oct. 7. See the Guilford County Board of Elections website for locations.[/pullquote]

And in the primary, where 3.8 percent of eligible voters turned out last time around, a roomful of people can change history.

You need to vote, but before you do, you need to do the reading; this week’s TCB is a fantastic place to start: Know your district or ward and the issues important to you and your neighbors. Seek out your district rep, and mayoral and at-large candidates as well — the candidates in these city elections are wonderfully accessibly — to ask them questions and tell them how you feel.

Guard your vote jealously and don’t give it away without careful consideration. Think about your own self-interest; think about the issues in your neighborhood and think about the direction your city is heading. Think about party politics if you must, but we don’t advocate that — these elections are nonpartisan, and city governance transcends the red/blue paradigm.

In the end, we get the government we deserve, and it’s too important to let 3.8 percent of the population make the decision for the rest of us.