With three weeks remaining until November 3rd elections, there's still time for citizens to become informed about what they will see on the ballot.
The League of Women Voters of Montgomery County, VA will host a forum for candidates seeking a seat in the Virginia House of Delegates. This will be held Thursday, Oct. 15th in the meeting room at the County Government Center, 755 Roanoke Street, Christiansburg from 7 until 9 pm, providing voters an opportunity to pose questions and listen to District 7 candidates Peggy Frank and Dave Nutter and District 12 candidates Jim Shuler and Paul Cornett.
Voter guides for all state and local offices can be read here, and include responses to questions on issues, biographies and video recordings of past forums for Blacksburg Town Council or the School Board seats.
When you enter the polling booth, your voter screen may not look exactly like your neighbor's, depending on which district your residence falls within.
On the state level, voters will also need to be prepared to select their next Governor, Lt. Governor and Attorney General. Locally, Montgomery County voters in Districts A, C and D will be asked to return the incumbent Board of Supervisors to office, each of whom is running unopposed. The School Board seat in District C will again be determined by write-in ballots, while Blacksburg residents will also see an uncontested mayoral race.
Residents of Christiansburg will be asked whether town elections should be held in May or in November of odd-years, through a referendum brought forward by citizens.
With the Census 2010 resulting in the allocation of resources and the expected redistricting based on population growth or shifts, the outcomes from this election will determine the next crop of "deciders" for issues that touch our lives, whether from a national, state, regional or local perspective. Voters should expect numerous tough financial decisions over the next few years as our nation continues to crawl out of a recession. This economic event has significantly impacted both local and state tax revenues, which comes back to local government leaders to sort through and address.
It's decision making time, and time to make sure "Go Vote" is appearing on your daily calendar for Nov. 3rd.