Nov 7 Election: Judges, Council, School Board, Questions

The election is Tuesday, November 7, less than 2 weeks away.

Are you one of the majority of voters who, if you show up at elections at all, only come out for presidential elections? And if you didn’t vote last year, are you liking the result of that election? If you like the way the country’s headed, then fine, stay home on the 7th. We won’t miss you.

But seriously, if you want to be a citizen of a democracy, you’ve got a responsibility to vote in elections, twice a year, every year. Not only for president, but for Congress in 2018, and for local offices and judges this year. Frankly, I don’t understand people who wrinkle up their noses in distaste when I suggest they should vote every election. It’s easy. It hardly takes any time (no lines in off-year elections). You can bring your kids and teach them how to vote. You can even get a sticker that says “I voted.” It’ll make you feel good about yourself, like giving blood but without the needles.

You can find your polling location at this link. Scroll down until you find Norristown.

Your sample ballot can be found at this website. Find your town on the list, then click on your district.

Most of your district election officials live in your local neighborhood and know regular voters by sight. They're your neighbors and they're there to help you vote. First time voters or voters who've changed districts since the primary will be asked for photo ID (it will be printed under your name in the book whether you need to present ID, so don't feel the official is picking on you). Otherwise ID is NOT required and you won't be asked for it, but some people feel more comfortable presenting it. That's fine, too.

If your name isn't in the book, the officials will ask questions to assure you're in the correct polling place (usually that's the problem). If it's not that simple, the Judge of Elections will call the courthouse to see if you're registered in the county and take other steps to solve the problem. No one can simply walk in and vote anywhere. You can help by making sure you know which polling place you should go to. Use the link above to double check if you've never voted before or if you've recently moved.

You may not use your cell phone or other electronic devices inside the polling place. No selfies in the booth, no texting, no talking on phones, especially no taking photos of anyone else. NOTHING. Polling places preserve the privacy of every voter and need to assure that no one is intimidated by having their photo taken. Talking on phones distracts voters and officials. Please respect this rule ~ you're only inside (hopefully) a few minutes.

Anyone campaigning outside the polling place must not be within 10 feet of the door and shouldn't block your way. Poll watchers MUST register beforehand at the Courthouse, and only a limited number can observe one polling location at a time. On election day, they must NEVER interfere with any voter or the voting process. If anyone tries to interfere with your right to vote tomorrow, report that person to the Judge of Elections at your polling place. Any election official in the polling place can point you to the Judge of Elections. Don't let anyone stop you from voting no matter who you support.

Okay, that’s what you need to know about how to vote. You’re not done yet. Next week, I’ll post information about the candidates and ballot questions. But in the meantime, share this with your neighbors, family, and friends.