“Local government is the foundation of democracy, if it fails, democracy will fail.” — Political scholar Robert Flack
Few things make a local government journalist’s blood pressure rise quicker than hearing something described as an “off-year election.”
There is no such damn thing. (You need to imagine me shouting that as you read it.)
Every time Americans exercise their right to vote is sacred. It’s a right earned by the literal blood, sweat and tears of generations of our ancestors. It should never be taken for granted — and we should never pass up the chance to participate in our representative democracy.
Yet, we often do, especially here in Richland County.
Sure, we turn out en masse for presidential elections. In 2024 and 2020, 73 percent of registered voters cast ballots in the county, according to the local Board of Elections.
The fact that 30 percent of registered voters decided not to vote for their next president is not great. But it’s far better than in what’s been wrongly dubbed “off-year elections.”
In 2023, just 50.4 percent of Richland County voters cast ballots, even in an election that featured hot statewide issues on abortion rights and recreational cannabis.
But even that is better than what we saw in 2021 (19.6 percent) and 2019 (25.7 percent), both general elections that saw the vast majority of voters sit out the exercise of their rights.
As we prepare for another “off-year election” on Nov. 4, let me say it again.
There are no damn off-year elections.
In fact, I would argue voters will make decisions next month that impact their lives far more than whoever lives at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave.
Voters will elect school board members. Township trustees. Village council members. City council members.
They will make decisions on a variety of issues, including school levies, township road and fire department funds and even a local cannabis issue in Bellville.
These are the kinds of election decisions that directly impact your local quality of life and your wallet.
If you are registered to vote, early voting begins Oct. 7 in Richland County. If you are not registered, the deadline to register is Oct. 6.
You really have no legitimate excuse not to participate — given a month of in-person early voting and the ease of absentee ballots, if you so choose.
(Below: Richland County Board of Elections directors Matt Finfgeld and Jane Zimmermann are guests on the News Man Weekly podcast. The election discussion begins at about the 23:15 mark of the show.)
Toward that end, Richland Source is about to launch a month of stories about the candidates and issues on the Nov. 4 ballot. Those stories start Thursday and will feature one story per day through Oct. 30.
We will also again host a Candidate Conversation event on Oct. 15 at our offices at 40 W. Fourth St. in downtown Mansfield. That evening, which will be open to the public and also live streamed, will feature candidates for Mansfield City Council and the Mansfield City Schools board of education.
But all of the information we share this month will not matter if you don’t exercise your right to vote and participate in your own governance.
Because there are no damn off-year elections.