Who’s informing your vote?

There are plenty of arguments for and against SB2. We’re not going to argue that, mostly because so many other people are arguing on both sides. There is one argument against SB2, however, that we find irritatingly patronizing – that a vote under SB2 is not an informed vote. We’re always a bit wary when someone tells us that our vote is uninformed – sometimes it means that that person believes we’re uninformed because we don’t agree. The imagery of a voter confused and alone in the booth, without someone to turn to for answers – give us a break. If someone is “uninformed,” it’s because they’ve made the decision not to pay any attention. New Hampshire voters are entrusted with the first presidential primary. Even if they can’t get to an ice cream social or town hall meeting to hear candidates speak, they generally take their vote extremely seriously, and do the required research. They know their vote counts, and are willing to take the time to find the candidate that they believe will best lead the country. The nice thing about SB2 is that it does give a window of time and opportunity for voters to research the issues on their own, sans impassioned rhetoric. No one has to make a split-second decision while listening to the arguments for and against warrant articles. No one has to decide on the spot whether one side is overstating their case for or against the article. As an aside, not to toot our own horn, but there’s a reason newspapers in New Hampshire are so busy in the weeks leading up to Town Meeting – they’re trying for as much coverage as possible on all the issues. In an SB2 town, there’s time to figure things out before you mark your ballot.

And that, we believe, makes for an informed voter.