Where Have All The Candidates Gone?

In each election cycle you are very apt to hear the term “voter apathy,” referring to the lack of interest that the voting public has in the election process.  It leads to low turnouts and – in many instances – disgust in the results by people who did not bother to vote.

But now a new phenomena seems to be creeping into the process:  candidate apathy.  A quick review of your local ballot will likely show this trend, as many races feature an unopposed candidate, a pool of candidates equal to or lower than the available number of positions available or – in some instances – no traditionally nominated candidates.

As an example, here is a sampling of races of this ilk on Bay County ballots:

Judge of the Court of Appeal, 4th District – 3 candidates for 3 positions
18th Judges of Circuit Court – Unopposed
74th Judge of District Court – Unopposed
Delta College Trustee Bay County – No nominated candidates (4 write ins)
Delta College Trustee Midland County – 2 candidates for 2 positions
Delta College Trustee Saginaw County – Unopposed
Essexville City Council – 2 candidates for 2 positions
Pinconning City Council – 1 candidate for 3 positions
2nd District County Commissioner – Unopposed
3rd District County Commissioner – Unopposed
6th District County Commissioner – Unopposed
Bangor School Board (6 year Term) – 2 candidates for 2 positions
Bay City School Board – 4 candidates for 4 positions
Essexville / Hampton School Board – 2 candidates for 3 positions
Freeland Community School Board – 2 candidates for 2 positions
Pinconning School Board – 3 candidates for 3 positions
Reese School Board – 1 candidate for 3 positions
Standish School Board – 2 candidates for 3 positions
Bangor Water District Board – 3 candidates for 3 positions
Kawkawlin Water District Board – 2 candidates for 2 positions
Linwood Water District Board – 2 candidates for 2 positions
The old axiom asks “If a tree falls in a forest and there is no one to hear it, did it make a sound?”  These days, when it comes to politics we might ask “If we hold an election and nobody runs, did we really vote?”