The biggest election that impacts your life is happening next month on November 3rd. No really – it is. It is not the Presidential election. That happens in November of 2016. That is merely the election that gets the most attention from the media.
The most important elections that impact our day-to-day lives are the local elections. These are the elections for offices that run our towns, county, schools and courts. Surprisingly, these are the ones we know the least about.
This November, there are local elections for County Commissioners, Town Supervisors, School Boards and Judges. The offices of County Commissioner and Town Supervisor have a say over our communities’ planning, growth, policies and environmental policy. School Board elections, determine how our schools are run and guide programming for our children.
The elections for our Judges are important because our Judges decide what is fair and lawful when we have a dispute, for example, with our neighbor or feel that we have been violated or are the victim of a crime.
This November, there are elections for Judges for the Court of Common Pleas, Superior Court (appeals involving private parties), Commonwealth Court (appeals involving government related matters) and our State Supreme Court. These three levels of the court provide us with the ability to access the law for ourselves, appeal a decision and ultimately, with the Supreme Court, determine if a law is just and right. It doesn’t get any more important than that.
For more information on the elections for November 2015 contact the League of Women Voters www.palwv.org
If you haven’t already registered to vote you can now register on-line at www.votespa.com.
– Pat Muller
