By now, you have probably seen a bunch of yard signs with random names that might not have any meaning.
The race between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump has been receiving the most attention but voters will also make several important decisions around local issues.
“Local elections have more of an impact on your day to day lives,” Lawrence High government teacher John Moos said. “These laws that are passed in Lawrence, Douglas County or Kansas affect what’s going on locally and only a few hundred thousands of people, unlike the millions of people all over the United States.”
First on the ballot are two questions, a sales tax increase and a change in the form of government.
Lawrence has had a continuous homelessness problem, and one of the questions is whether or not the city should increase sales tax in order to help affordable housing along with programs.
The other question is on whether or not the city should stick with its current form of government, which is a Commission-Manager form.
If voters decide to adopt a “Modified Mayor-Council Manager form of government,” they would elect six commissioners and a nonpartisan mayor. If not, they will continue to enforce their current form of government.
“This year we are voting to potentially change our style of city government and we are voting on a sales tax increase,” LHS government teacher Jack Hood said. “Both could directly affect us.”
There are two candidates up for district attorney, Mike Warner (R) and Dakota Loomis (D). The district attorney is the most vital local prosecution job. The DA represents the government in criminal cases, so it is important to vote on who would be the best.
Four out of five district commissioners are also up for election. Along with local elections, there are races for the Senate, the House of Representatives and the Kansas State Board of Education.
Although national elections are on everyone’s minds, it is necessary to stay aware of the local political environment, especially voters. Senior Adele Erickson has been in charge of canvassing for the Young Democrats Club, and her main goal has been to keep everyone informed on all levels of politics.
“The most important way to stay informed is to follow local news,” Erickson said. “Since it’s national election year, everybody is very much backed up in what’s going on with the presidential race. But people don’t realize that our local politics actually affect us more because so much is done at the state level.”
