If you’re like so many of the rest of us, “election season” is something that happens every four years, and it throws the country as a whole into an uproar. We spend countless hours watching debates, tuning into endless scandals surrounding candidates, and arguing with our relatives over various holiday dinners. When The Big Day comes, we dutifully and enthusiastically take our place in line at the polls, record our vote, and then sit back to watch the results.
It’s a big deal, and it’s one of the fundamental freedoms upon which our country rests.
No matter which side of the aisle we call home, there is one thing upon which we can all agree: elections have consequences. If for nothing else, the past six years have demonstrated that. So why is it that voter turnout in state and local elections has been steadily declining, even reaching record lows? Ask any pundit or talking head, and he or she will offer any number of explanations and excuses:
Voters are not informed about the candidates, and don’t recognize any of the names on the ballots.
Voters don’t know what their local officials really do.
Voters cannot physically make it to the polling places, and are unaware of any alternatives.
Voters don’t know when elections are being held.
Most damning of all, though, is political cynicism: “My vote doesn’t matter anyway.”
Well, here we are, Warwick. It’s our very own election season, and it’s one that promises to be one of the most hotly contested in recent memory. We all have our ideas and opinions about the direction the country is taking, and the feeling that we are powerless to exert any influence can be paralyzing and overwhelming. It’s easy to watch the news, shake our fists, and bemoan the state of the country at large–but on March 15th, we are given an opportunity to shape policies that will determine the very personality of our village. The Mayor and the Board of Trustees are charged with making decisions that will impact our community in countless ways–decisions involving schools, parks, police, infrastructure, and businesses. Our representatives can determine the character and trajectory of our village and our town for years into the future.
Still think your vote doesn’t matter?
For those of us who have become complacent in thinking either that our local elections “don’t count”, “nothing is going to change” or that our votes “don’t matter,” it’s time to think again. We may not be able to exert direct pressure on Washington, but what we do here in Warwick has ripples that reach far and away from us as individuals, through both time and space. We pass the campaign signs every day as we make our way through the village–it’s our responsibility to know the names, to do our due diligence and research their platforms, and to mark March 15th in bold on our calendars and set an alarm.
Eleanor Roosevelt said, “Freedom makes a huge requirement of every human being. With freedom comes responsibility.” If our beloved Warwick means anything to us, we must involve ourselves fervently, wholeheartedly, and mindfully in her operations. Our best, most powerful, and most influential way of doing this is to exercise our right–our responsibility–to make our voices heard at the polling place
Here’s what you need to know:
What: General Village Election for the Village of Warwick
When: Tuesday, March 15th, 2022
Where: Goodwill Hook and Ladder Co. 25 Church Street Extension Warwick NY
Time: 9:00am to 9:00pm
Candidates for Mayor (5 year term):
• Michael Newhard
• Eileen Patterson
• Matthew Sullivan
Candidates for Trustee (2 trustees, 5 year term):
• Joseph Amaturo
• Carly Foster
• Lugene Maher
• Thomas H. McKnight
• Brian Torpie
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