Time to Vote

For John, BLUF:  I miss Bill.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

---

Today is Lowell's Preliminary Election.♠  Here is a link to Lowell Polling Locations.  (Where you vote, based on your Ward and Precinct.)

Open Now and open until 8:00 PM.

You may vote for up to nine candidates.  That means that if you like Rita and no one else, you can just vote for Rita.♥

Why a Preliminary Election?  Reporter Grant Welker, writing for The [Lowell] Sun seems to suggest it is a waste of money, giving we will pare the list by one person.♦  The thing is, no matter what number you pick as the limit for calling a Preliminary, there is a chance that the next election the number of candidates will be that number plus one.  The result will be people saying, "Why waste the money to eliminate one person?"

It reminds me of a story from long ago.♣

Our City Manager at the time, Bill Taupier, was walking with the God of Finance, which was right in that Bill was an accountant.  The God of Finance was looking for ways to save money and he came upon Preliminary Elections.  He confided in Bill that he intended to wipe out Preliminary Elections, because the outcry against them was so great.

Bill said, “Will you sweep away the poorly financed with the wicked?  What if there is one righteous person over the limit?  Will you really sweep it away and not spare the system for the sake of one righteous person?  Far be it from you to do such a thing—to kill the righteous with the wicked, treating the righteous and the wicked alike.  Far be it from you!  Will not the Judge of all the earth's finances do right?”

Well, to make a long story short, the God of Finance spared the Preliminary, because, frankly, the bureaucratic effort was not worth the financial savings.

Regards  —  Cliff

♠  No, not Primary, Preliminary.  Its goal is to whittle down the field for City Council, School Committee or GLTHS.
♥  My recommendation is you vote for more than one candidate, thus helping others you favor.
♦  This has always be a contentious issue and in the past the City Council has asked the General Court to allow us to cancel a Preliminary.  Our legislative team down on Beacon Hill has passed the word that it will do it no more.
♣  With credit to Moses, who gave us Genesis 18:16-33.