People have no good excuse not to vote.
While more local residents participate in elections than in some parts of the nation, voter turnout seldom exceeds half of registered voters, a number that is less than the total number of adults.
The only real exceptions are presidential-election years, when turnout will jump to 65 to 70 percent.
Analysts give all kinds of reasons, but two seem to have the most credence: dissatisfaction with candidates and the challenges of getting to polls on Election Day.
We’d like to suggest some solutions to these problems, if any readers are considering sitting on their hands (and votes) Nov. 7.
Frankly, we understand the first reason many skip elections. If the purpose of negative advertising is to minimize the turnout for your opponent, then this year may see one of the lowest turnouts yet. The campaigns of U.S. Sen. Robert Menendez and challenger Thomas Kean Jr. have so focused on negative advertising that it’s getting hard to envision supporting either one.
Determined but adventurous voters, then, might consider choosing one of the seven independent candidates for the U.S. Senate seat: Daryl Brooks, of the People’s Independent Campaign; J.M. Carter, running under the moniker "God We Trust"; Libertarian Party candidate Len Flynn; Edward Forchion, of the Legalize Marijuana campaign; campaign regular Angela Lariscy, of the Socialist Worker’s Party not to be confused with Socialist Party candidate Gregory Pason; and N. Leonard Smith, running under the name "Solidarity, Defend Life."
People will react with shock when you tell them you’re voting for one of the independents (regardless of which one), but you can rightly counter that independents can have a real impact on the outcomes and effects of the elections. Would the national deficit of the early 1990s have been addressed had H. Ross Perot garnered less support in his presidential bid? Probably not.
And should, say, the "God We Trust" candidate or the "Legalize Marijuana" candidate succeed in attracting a substantial number of votes, it’s fairly certain Republican and Democratic party strategists would take notice.
To find out more about these candidates and their positions, check the Hall Institute of Public Policy Web site (www.hallnj.org), whose online "virtual debate" has responses from all seven independents to questions on a variety of topics, including foreign policy, the environment and immigration.
Oh, and you also can find Sen. Menendez’ and Mr. Kean’s positions there which you won’t see in their advertising.
As to the second challenge to marginally motivated voters, there’s more good news. Recent changes in election law have eliminated restrictions on absentee ballots and you can choose to use an absentee ballot without having to show cause.
Previously, one had to testify they were unable to get to the ballots because of illness, travel or other impediment; now you can simply request an absentee ballot for this election, or all elections. To request an absentee ballot, go to www.co.somerset.nj.us/_pdffiles/2005absenteeballot.pdf; or call the clerk’s office at 231-7006 to have one sent.
The ballots must be returned to the clerk’s office by Nov. 7 to be counted.
We’d like to see more people vote in all elections, and hope some will be encouraged to do so with these suggestions.

