Reader: Your vote counts even more on local races than national ones

Yesterday, Westword contributors Josiah M. Hesse and Chris Utterback went head to head over the upcoming election on the question of whether it's worth your time to vote, with Hesse saying no and Utterback saying yes. Below, one reader marks his ballot for Utterback's view by offering an argument with...

By Michael Roberts

November 2, 2012

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Yesterday, Westword contributors Josiah M. Hesse and Chris Utterback went head to head over the upcoming election on the question of whether it's worth your time to vote, with Hesse saying no and Utterback saying yes. Below, one reader marks his ballot for Utterback's view by offering an argument with local flavor.

rain writes:

Remember: Don't just vote the top of the ticket. Vote the local races, too. They matter and are often decided by a small number of votes, as the CD2 example above shows.

A single individual's vote may or may not decide a race, but a lot of individuals' votes? That's an election. Or, to give another analogy, no single snowflake is all that special, but together? Now you've got a ski run -- or an avalanche.

For more memorable takes, visit our Comment of the Day archive.

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Michael Roberts began his career with Westword in 1990 as music editor. In 1999, he took on a new role, full-time media reporter, as author of a column called The Message. In 2008, he became the lead writer for Westword's news blog, The Latest Word, a position he held until January 2023. Michael continues to freelance for Westword, covering everything from business to sports and the media; he also contributes to Jazziz, a national music magazine. He holds a bachelor's degree from what is now Colorado Mesa University and master's degrees from the University of California, Los Angeles, and Northwestern University.

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