I consider myself I high information voter. I blog at a political site, I regularly read three others, I subscribe the three political journals, and I keep NPR on perpetually. But I have still had the embarrassing experience of walking into the ballot box, confidently punching through all of my votes, and then reaching that non-partisan judicial race and saying to myself 'Damn. I have no idea who any of these people are.' Or struggling through some state constitution amendment legalese to try to figure out what the heck I was trying to vote on.
I know that the governor, House, and Senate races are important for all of us. Go vote, make sure all your friends and co-workers vote, make calls, give rides, but please: make sure you know who you're voting for at the bottom of the ballot.
I am largely inspired to write this by a perfectly odious amendment on the Georgia ballot--an amendment that would make it much easier to write legally enforceable non-compete agreements into employment contracts (amendment 1, Georgia Kossacks--vote no!).
The wording on the ballot is terrifically misleading:
Shall the Constitution of Georgia be amended so as to make Georgia more economically competitive by authorizing legislation to uphold reasonable competitive agreements?
Sounds great, right? Hey guys, Georgia's going to be competitive! Because we're going to uphold reasonable agreements! Who could be against that, right?
A lot of people. Non-compete contract clauses keep workers from starting their own business or moving to a competing business for several years after their employment terminates, even if they are fire. Yes, there are undue economic hardship exclusions that will often let a fired employee take a new job within his field without having to move to a different market, but non-compete agreements can be complete nightmares for entrepreneurs who want to do what they do for themselves, not someone else.
Large companies have mobilized to support this Amendment. A friend who works for AT&T got an 'alert' telling him how important it was that they all vote FOR making it harder for them to go get job elsewhere. And, I fear, a lot of people who were prepared to make the right votes in the top-ticket races will get lost in the language and vote 'Yes' on amendment one.
Some other big bears at the bottom of the ballot are judicial races. In Georgia, as in many other places, judicial races are non-partisan, so you have no R or D to give you a basic guide to the candidate's philosophy. JUDGES ARE IMPORTANT. The average person's life is much more likely to be effected by a judge than by a Congressperson.
There are answers. Check out your local newspaper to see if they have any info on amendments, referenda, and non-partisan races. I like the site Ballotpedia. Several urban newspapers have come together for the Voter Guide project this year. See if your state bar has made any endorsements. And, most important, go to your state's Secretary of State Web site and find a sample ballot for your specific precinct, so you don't have any surprises in the ballot box.
Be informed. Inform your friends. Vote.
And cross your finger, I still think we're going to pull this one out.