The Associated Press moved a story on Saturday about the efforts of state election officials as well as party leaders to generate more — to generate any— interest in this fall's general election.
We wish them luck.
Secretary of State Connie Lawson, who is seeking re-election, herself, plans to spend $750,000 (tax dollars, we assume) on a "nonpartisan" get-out-the-vote campaign which, she hopes, will lead to more participation at the polls on Nov. 4.
This is one of those years in the election cycle (they come around every dozen years) when there are few statewide races on the ballot and turnout is traditionally low.
All signs are pointing to this fall's balloting falling to a record low, with the percentage of those turning out to vote down in the teens.
None of the statewide races (treasurer and auditor along with secretary of state) looks to be competitive, with the incumbent Republican expected to cruise to victory in each race. And in the nine Congressional races the incumbents — seven Republicans and two Democrats — don't seem to be facing serious challenges.
Politics, once a time-honored Hoosier pastime, have lost their sizzle; today, any reference to voting is tied to one of those TV shows were singers and dancers and entertainers of sundry "talents" vie to become the next big star.
Although, from what we understand (our viewing habits not extending much beyond "Frontline" and the occasional baseball game), voter turnout on those shows is also on the decline, probably spelling the imminent cancellations of the programs.
We've noticed interest in the local races has started to increase, at least we're seeing more candidates' yard signs popping up around the community, although how accurate a measure of voter interest yard signs are is subject to debate.
Old boy we were talking with up in Westphalia the other day told us he'd just seen a yard sign for a candidate who would be getting his wholehearted support throughout the fall, fella named Homegrown Tomatoes.
We've noticed that in many yards there are signs for Democrat and Republican candidates mixed in together — you'll see a sign supporting a Republican in one race and a sign favoring Democrat in another race — an indication to us that, in Knox County at least, party label is of less importance than how well a voter knows a candidate individually.
Voters and certainly officeholders should show less subjugation to party label and more loyalty to the commonweal.
We talk about public service, not party service.
Voter interest locally has been on the soft side so far.
But then we may be misreading the situation: where we assume a lack of interest there's actually an electorate that's already made up it's collective mind about most of the races.