FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WOWO) – The primary election is coming up next Tuesday, May 7. Do you plan on voting in this election? Do you know who is on the ballot? There is a lot of history surrounding our election process here in the United States.
The Election Day process is different today than in the past. Also, other countries differ from the United States in their voting laws. For instance:
- Drinking was a major part of elections. According to ConstitutionCenter.org, George Washington spent 50 pounds, his entire campaign budget, on 160 gallons of liquor and served it to 391 voters. In England, buying votes with booze was a common custom. Virginia tradition was to roll barrels of liquor onto the courthouse lawns and polling places on Election Day.
- Everyone knew your political opinion 200 years ago. Crows of people, voters and non-voters would gather at polling places and watch as voters, one-by-one, stepped out of the crowd and cast their vote aloud.
- The weather and farmers played a role in when elections were held. Farmers were not able to travel very easily until harvest was over. Also, winter caused a problem as traveling was difficult, as a result, elections took place late in the fall.
- Voting is the law in Australia. At 18 years of age, a citizen is required to register to vote and to vote in federal elections. Anybody that does not vote could be fined and also can result in criminal charges.
- 16-year-old teenagers can vote in Brazil. Not unlike Australia, you are required to vote in Brazil and you can do so at the age of 16. Citizens can be fined if they do not vote.
- North Korea does hold elections. 99.7 percent of citizens show up for North Korean elections. However, everyone on the ballot was selected ahead of time by the governing party. Voters would drop a printed out list of names in a box to indicate their support. There was however, a separate box where voters could use to register their rejection of one of the candidates. Oddly enough, the chosen candidates received 100% of the vote which means either their votes were not counted or nobody put anything in the other rejection box.
- Ohio Constitution has a “No Idiots” clause. According to Mentalfloss.com, Article V, Section 6 of Ohio’s Constitution states “No idiot, or insane person, shall be entitled to the privileges of an elector.”
- Texas allows you to use a gun license as identification for voting, but not a student I.D. card.
- America has only one non-elected President. The only President and Vice President not elected to the office was Gerald Ford. Richard Nixon appointed Ford as Vice President after Spiro Agnew resigned. Nine months later Nixon resigned and Gerald Ford took his place as President.
Do you know who is on your ballot? Here is a list of candidates in the area primary election.
Fort Wayne
Mayor
Democratic: Tom Henry (incumbent), Gina Burgess, Tommy Schrader
Republican: David Roach, John Crawford, Tim Smith
Fort Wayne City Clerk
Democratic: Katie Zuber
Republican: Lana Keesling
City Council
At-large (3 seats)
Democratic: MaryClare Akers, Michelle Chambers, Steve Corona, Glynn Hines, Curtis Nash
Republican: Michael Barranda (incumbent), Thomas Freistroffer (incumbent), Nathan Hartman, Eric Tippmann, Joseph Townsend.
District 1
Republican: Paul Ensley (incumbent)
District 2
Republican: Russ Jehl (incumbent)
District 3
Democratic: Palermo Galindo, John Henry
Republican: Thomas Didier (incumbent), Mike Thomas
District 4
Democratic: Jorge Fernandez, Patti Hays
Republican: Jason Arp (incumbent), Rachel Lott
District 5
Democratic: Geoff Paddock (incumbent)
Republican: Taylor Vanover
District 6
Democratic: Tom Cook, Hakim Muhammad, Sharon Tucker
Grabill
Clerk-treasurer
Republican: Cynthia L. Barhydt, Lori Nash
Town Council
Republican: Wilmer Delegrange, Jeffrey D. Smead
Leo-Cedarville
Clerk-treasurer
Republican: Pamela K. Spannuth
Town Council
Republican: John Eastes, Raymond Pulver Jr., Tyler Witmer, Scott Yoder
New Haven
Mayor
Republican: Steve McMichael, Robert Nelson, Steve Poiry
Clerk-treasurer
Republican: Melissa Hayes, Natalie Strock
City Council
At-large (2 seats)
Republican: J. Pat Anderson, David Cheviron, Terry A. Werling
District 1
Republican: Floyd Ball
District 2
Republican: Sarah DiGangi, Dennis Schebig, Jeff Turner
District 3
Republican: Craig Dellinger
District 4
Republican: Robert Byrd, Michael Mowery
District 5
Republican: Eric Amstutz, Matthew Kennedy