Tuesday, it's our voices that matter

The general election is just two days away, and for many of us it can’t come soon enough.

Tuesday is the day when the silence of the voting booths becomes a welcome reprieve from the bluster and hype of another campaign season. Tuesday is the day when we take what we’ve learned about the candidates, whether through a town-hall debate or a door-to-door visit, and decide who stands for what we believe in. Tuesday it’s our voices that matter most of all.

There are several local races and a slate of citizen initiatives that will bring significant changes to our communities, and we hope voters will take seriously their responsibility to make an informed choice.

The race for Flathead County commissioner is the only contested countywide race this year, but the outcome of that race could dramatically affect how county business is conducted. Incumbent Democrat Joe Brenneman faces Republican challenger Pam Holmquist in what has been a high-profile but generally respectful race. Brenneman, a Creston dairy farmer, has championed public safety, water quality and a stable county budget during his time in office. Holmquist, an Evergreen business owner, has campaigned as a conservative who believes in less government, lower taxes and fewer regulations.

In the judicial realm, voters will decide three judge positions, one in District Court and two in Flathead County Justice Court.

This year’s citizen initiatives run the gamut, from deciding whether the Montana Constitution should be amended to prohibiting any new taxes on the transfer of real estate, to deciding whether payday loan interest should be reduced to 36 percent annually. Another proposed initiative would amend state law to abolish outfitter-sponsored nonresident big game and deer combination licenses and increase nonresident license fees substantially.

It may be the 11th hour before Tuesday’s election, but there’s still time to do your homework. The Secretary of State office offers a very helpful Voter Information Pamphlet that can gives the pros and cons of all 2010 ballot issues; go to sos.mt.gov/Elections to find the pamphlet.

The Daily Inter Lake has covered all local races extensively and has weighed in on ballot initiatives; our election coverage is online at www.dailyinterlake.com. There’s still time to check candidates’ websites, too, or call them directly if you don’t still have answers to all of your questions. Don’t waste another minute to get up to speed. Remember these words from President

John F. Kennedy: “The ignorance of one voter in a democracy impairs the security of all.”