>>Valley Patriot>> |
Random thoughts galore emerge from election 2005 in the city of Methuen.
…On ballot position… This is one of the most talked about issues. It is done by lottery. I happened to pull number one on the ballot. Some people think you get a 5 percent increase by virtue of that ballot position. Others claim name length and ethnicity are important variables. Others say that the last name on the ballot is best because it will stand alone. …On getting your name out there… There are many ways to get your name out there. Volunteerism and community activism are my favorite ways of getting my name out there, but there are a number of other options. Signs, for example, are a popular approach. How big, how colorful and how many are the big questions. I went for a patriotic theme. There were smiley faces, name only, and various colors out there. Theories abound. The one with the most signs wins. As we all know, signs don’t vote. …Speaking of signs… We experienced a windy, rainy fall and a Nor’easter. All the signs were blown everywhere and suffered a beating. When I think about how many signs are up and how much they cost, it is very depressing. Then, of course, we had Halloween! …On Election Day sign holders are very important. Rules prohibit signs from being unmanned. No signs can be within 150 feet of the polling station. The theory is that people count how many sign holders a candidate has and that tends to determine the vote count. I don’t really believe that, but everything must be considered. My son had a different notion about sign use. He put it, stake and all, on his back and road up and down Pleasant View Street on his BMX GT. A policeman pulled him over and asked what he was doing with the sign and he told him he was doing it for his mother. …More on signs… I believe sign holders are people who really believe in their candidates and the only way you can repay these volunteers is to feed them. A pickup truck was going around carrying coffee and soup. Everyone helped themselves. As for me, I made grinders — ham and cheese — and peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. I also made homemade molasses cookies. You have to feed the people. …On bullets… A bullet vote is worth more to the candidate because even though you can vote for two or three in the race, the bullet gives a better return. Who knew? How do you explain that concept? …On going door to door… One thing for sure is that almost every house on Wood-burn Drive has a dog. How could any of us go door to door in the rain? Theories abound. I am of the school that if you go door to door in the rain, you look foolish. You know that saying: “you don’t know enough to come in out of the rain.” Also, with the price of heating fuel, who wants to talk to the candidate through an open door? For some, it is a sign of dedication and determination. Sixteen days of rain was ridiculous. …On mailings… Making decisions about the mailing was difficult. How big, how many houses, who is an active voter and who is a super voter are all things that determine how much it is going to cost. Everyone has access to the lists of voters. I sent out 11,452 mailers. There is a process called de-duping and it eliminates duplications to the same address. If that is not enough, you have to decide the size. Half sheet, full sheet, type of paper and matte or glossy are all issues to be resolved. I went with the half sheet, glossy, two-color model. Did you know that paper is much like fish? Market prices and weight are big variables. …On bumper stickers… In the old days, bumper stickers would never come off your car. The memory of this has scared off many supporters. The new bumper stickers are cling-on types that come off with ease. Still, many people refuse to sport them and I have about 200 left over from this election and 200 from the last election. I can go on and on about the various theories surrounding the election process. I don’t believe in most of them. I would like to think that people are aware of the issues and know the candidates. I would like to believe they vote for the candidate that matches their philosophies and whom they believe would do a decent job. Of course, that is just my theory. Kathleen Corey Rahme is the Central
District Councilor in Methuen and founder of the Methuen
Youth Corps. She was just elected to be a city councilor
at-large in November and will take office in January. You
can email her at kcoreyrahme@comcast.net
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…On getting nomination papers
signed… Getting your nomination papers signed and
certified is a very big deal. If you don’t secure
the appropriate number of signatures from your district,
you cannot be placed on the ballot. I had to obtain 150
signatures from registered voters (50 from each
district). Some people mistakenly assume if they sign
your nomination paper, it is a vote. It only gets you on
the ballot and allows you to be part of the process.