Next Tuesday is Election Day.
We urge everyone registered to vote to get out and vote.
It is important.
This year, there is a large slate of candidates and a compelling referendum issue.
Without a mayor’s race, turnout is expected to be lower than usual, perhaps 35-40 percent.
While there is no mayor’s race, the councilor at large race takes on greater proportions as the top vote getter in this field will likely become the next mayor.
Of course, there is a perilous journey ahead as the mayor has to first announce he is leaving and then it is the city council president who will take his place until a special election if the timing is right.
It is very likely, again, that a councilor at large will be the next city council president – as Councillor at Large Dan Rizzo is the president right now.
This being said, we urge all voters to pay close attention to the possibilities in this race.
There is the opportunity for voters to change the composition of the at-large field or to leave it essentially the same.
Much could happen or very little or nothing.
It is hard to know how elections come out until they have been held, obviously.
The school committee race, we believe, has less potential for change than the at-large race.
Never the less, voters should pay special attention to how they vote.
The referendum on birth control issues relating to the public schools has aroused deep interest in many quarters of the city.
Although some believe that the public school system has been acting responsibly to curb teenage pregnancies and to prevent the spread of the AIDS virus as well as to educate children about the responsibilities that come with exploring their sexualities, there are many, many people in this city who believe the public schools should have nothing whatsoever to do with this type of education.
Get out and vote on Tuesday.
Change the world if you want.
Leave the same.
It is up to you.