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10
Nov 2008
A note on straight party voting
Posted by Scott Spielman
at 3:47 PM | Comments
Felicia Paris-Brooks has taken a little bit of heat through readers’ comments about what she said after the Tuesday election.
Paris-Brooks, a candidate for clerk in Van Buren Township, lamented that people chose a particular political party over the individual candidates. It probably sounded like sour grapes coming from a defeated Republican in a generally Democratic community, but she has a valid point.
In Van Buren Township, 5,568 residents who voted a straight party ticket checked the Democratic box. Only 1,634 checked the Republican box, which gave Democrats a 3,934 vote advantage. She might not have won anyway, but it clearly provided a distinct advantage. It also helped propel Dian Slavens into the state legislature over her Republican challenger Todd LaJoy, who was better qualified for the position.
I can somewhat understand voters towing the party line in larger elections, like state or federal contests—although I personally and professionally weigh candidates individually—but I’ve never understood it at the local level.
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