Vote on Nov. 6, it's more important than you may think

Election Day is less than three weeks away and while there are many critical races on the ballots in New Hampshire and Maine, fears remain that in this off-year election cycle with no presidential race voter turnout will be light.

A lot has been said in print, in social media and elsewhere in the political blogosphere that there is discontent across the political spectrum. That, however, does not ensure voter turnout — especially informed voter turnout.

In this day and age there is no excuse for not examining the issues.

All of Seacoast Media Group’s weekly and daily newspapers are in the process of publishing the results of candidates questionnaires. Our newspapers are following the candidates in some way on a daily basis. And we are continuing editorial board meetings in the top races in hopes of better informing voters and eventually offering endorsements.

That said, we urge readers to look here and elsewhere for the information needed to make those informed decisions. By now your town or city will have listed sample ballots on their websites. There are also any number of organizations offering voter guides and voter information. Among them are the League of Women Voters, Citizens Count NH, Vote Smart, Rock the Vote, and Your Vote 2018 in Maine.

There are also many advocacy organizations which, while concentrating on targeted issues, can offer useful information.

Then there are the candidates’ websites. While these are clearly designed to promote a particular candidate’s issues, these can serve as a point of reference and understanding of what each candidate considers the key issues in their race.

It also needs to be pointed out that the races in this year’s off-year election are as important, if not more so, than during a presidential election year.

In Maine, Gov. Paul LePage is term limited. As a result, voters will be putting a fresh face in the Blaine House.

It will also be the first time ranked-choice voting will be used in Maine’s General Election for the offices of U.S. Senate and U.S. Congress, in which there are more than two candidates. Those races include: U.S. Senate race Incumbent U.S. Sen. Angus King (I), Maine Sen. Eric Brakey (R), and Zak Ringelstein (D); U.S. Congressional District 1 race: Incumbent U.S. Rep. Chellie Pingree (D), Mark Holbrook (R), and Maine Rep. Martin Grohman (I); and Congressional District 2 race: Incumbent Rep. Bruce Poliquin (R), Maine Rep. Jared Golden (D), Tiffany Bond (I) and William Hoar (I).

New Hampshire also has a critical race at the top of the ballot. For a decade, Congressional District 1 has been passed back and forth between Democrats and Republicans, with it currently being held by Democratic Congresswoman Carol Shea-Porter, who is not seeking re-election.

This means a new face will represent New Hampshire CD1 in Congress. On the ballot will be Eddie Edwards (R), Chris Pappas (D) and Dan Belforti (L).

New Hampshire’s governor’s race is also important. Chris Sununu is the first Republican to serve as governor in more than a decade. He is being challenged by Molly Kelly, who is looking to return the seat to the Democrats, making Sununu a one-term governor. In the process, she hopes to help her party take back the House and Senate.

There are also important citizen referendums in Maine, including a proposal to impose a 3.8 percent income tax on individuals or married couples filing jointly with a gross adjusted income above $128,400 to fund home health workers and services. New Hampshire voters will weigh in on two proposed constitutional amendments; one to restore taxpayer standing as sufficient to bring suit against the government and a second to enhance privacy protections.

All in all, there are more than enough reasons to be informed and to vote on Nov. 6. As past elections have proven, every single vote counts.