2022 is an election year — a mid-term election, what some folks might even call an “off-year” election because we won’t be voting for president or governor. But really, there are no “off-year” elections. A tried truism is that all politics are local. And this year, offices from school boards and town councils to representatives in the Statehouse, Congress and the United States Senate will be on the ballot.
The candidate filing period for offices on the ballot this year opened this week, and would-be candidates for office have until Feb. 4 to formally file their candidacies.
We are certain to see a lot of familiar faces and names contesting for these offices, and that’s a good thing, as far as it goes. If voters are content with the public servants they have elected, they’ll say so at the polls. And that, too, is a good thing, as far as it goes. Problem is, while the situation has improved somewhat, far too few people participate in these “off-year” elections. That goes for voters as well as for candidates for office.
In these politically polarized times, we can understand why so many elected offices go uncontested, but a dearth of competitive races is not a healthy sign for participatory democracy.
A Pew Research Center poll from March of this year demonstrated some of the problems where, ironically, there is broad consensus across political lines. This poll found 65 percent of Americans said the political system needs major changes or needs to be completely reformed. In that same poll, 67 percent of Americans said the statement “most politicians are corrupt” describes the US well.
This, by the way, is not a universal belief. By comparison, only 29 percent of Germans surveyed felt most of their politicians are corrupt.
With that kind of public opinion, it’s not shocking that a great many Americans choose not to participate in the political system at all, either as candidates or as voters. Even without the perceptions revealed in the Pew poll, the prospect of seeking public office can be daunting.
However, a democracy of, by and for the people can only flourish when new and vigorous candidates with fresh ideas seek to serve, no matter how challenging the times and circumstances. Restoring confidence in our political and electoral system will demand good leaders and bold truth-tellers.
We encourage anyone who has a sincere interest in serving their community, state or nation to run for public office. You can find out what’s required from the many online resources available at the Indiana Secretary of State’s Office, in.gov/sos/elections/candidate-information.
We also encourage everyone to vote. There is plenty of time to register if you aren’t registered to vote already, and you can do so easily, or check your voter registration status, at indianavoters.com.
During the last mid-term election in 2018, 53 percent of eligible voters in Bartholomew County went to the polls for the general election in November. While that number may seem low, it was the highest percentage for a mid-term election in decades.
Still, we can do and should do better. Our government and our politics will serve us best when more people make their voices heard as voters and as candidates.
