Romney has pretty much nailed down Florida,” said Brad Coker, an expert pollster from Mason-Dixon Polling and Research. “Unless something dramatically changes … Romney’s going to win Florida.”
With absentee and early voting well under way, a Tampa Bay Times poll shows Gov. Romney in command of the toss-up state.
This sample pertains to the traditional I-4 corridor that stretches from Tampa to Daytona Beach, which generally decides the way Florida will vote. With momentum seemingly in Romney’s favor, this poll indicated he has taken a 51 percent lead over Obama’s 45 percent in the Sunshine State.
Nevertheless, this poll directly contradicts CNN reports of Romney leading Obama by 1 percentage point. Regardless, Florida seems to be shifting in favor of Romney.
If you have not voted yet, do not under any circumstances allow this to make you reconsider your vote or lead you to not vote. After all, the election is not just for the presidency.
This apparent shift in support among Democrats and Republicans from 2008 to 2012 is also evident in the newspaper endorsement game. Not just on a national scale, several prominent Florida newspapers across the state have flipped support from the president to his challenger. Romney leads 49 to 41 percent among independents, and it is estimated that about 4 percent of the electorate remains undecided.
We should vote with the same or even greater intensity for our local and state elections as we do for the head of the executive branch of the federal government.
We see the impact of these races on a day-to-day basis in our lives.
Yes, the President of the United States is a remarkable and unique position that sets the agenda for our “great arsenal of democracy.” Yes, the President of the United States also dominates our news, politics and popular culture. And yes, being president is something that millions of young children dream of being when they grow up. However, unlike the president and even our representatives in Congress, it is our local elected leaders that fight for us every day.
We see the impact of these races on a day to day basis in our lives. These local and state elections have a much more significant impact in our respective communities. From taxes to education to infrastructure, these issues should dominate our thinking.
Local officials understand and work with businesses to generate the conditions and incentives needed to promote entrepreneurs, as well as job growth.
Aren’t the economy and jobs the most important issues of this election?
Then we, the voting public, ought to consider our local elections with the same interest and passion as we do our presidential publics. While the Electoral College system may limit the power of voters in certain states, one vote can dramatically impact a local election. Turnout is so unacceptably low to the degree that, at least in my hometown, an entire city’s high school graduating class can shift an election one way or the other.
However, unlike the president and even our representatives in Congress, it is our local elected leaders that fight for us every day. They understand the unique conditions of our towns and municipalities like no other. They realize our cities unique, individual needs from specific infrastructure to leisure facilities like parks to the necessary conditions for affordable housing.
Being that so many leave these sections on the ballot blank or, in a non-presidential election year, do not even show up to the polls, each and every individual vote carries significant weight.
As such, take care and research local candidates. There is no excuse this year to not vote in local races. There is even less of an excuse in other election years where poor turnout leads to absolutely no line at the polls. It can be as easy as filling out a ballot at home and mailing it.
These are the circumstances that matter most, in which we, the people of the United States of America, notice an impact each and every day we go about our lives.
Do not settle just voting for Romney or Obama, or fall whim to popular belief. Strive to research, and complete your entire ballot on Tuesday.
After all, it is this type of grassroots change that truly does make a difference.
Michael Schnur is an economics freshman at UF. His column usually appears on Wednesdays. You can contact him via opinions@alligator.org.
