Kipp: What’s at Stake in the Special Election

Rita Kipp

The Special Election on August 7th will select someone to represent Ohio’s 12th District in the House of Representatives. That will be the only race on the ballot and the winner will occupy the seat only for five months. Does this Special Election really matter then? Yes, it does and this is what’s at stake.

First, our district has been without a representative in Washington since January of this year. Voting in this election is important because a congressional seat counts among the country’s top leadership positions. As the immigration issue and trade tariffs have risen to the limelight in this summer’s news, no one sits in the House to speak for our district on these important matters. The interim term, although brief, still gives someone a mandate to listen to us and speak for us in the nation’s capital.

Second, winning the Special Election will give either Democrat Danny O’Connor or Republican Troy Balderson “momentum” toward winning the General Election. A recent poll put Balderson 10 points ahead of O’Connor but pundits also predict that the gap will narrow as the special election approaches. Both the August and the November elections could be close. While District 12 is gerrymandered to favor Republicans, Democrats and progressive groups have shown the same energy and the enthusiasm here that we’ve seen in special elections and primaries elsewhere.

In today’s polarized political climate and anticipating that the midterm elections will serve as a bellwether in the president’s first term, the District 12 race has already received attention in the national media. We can be sure that many people outside of Ohio will be watching what happens. How many residents of District 12 are paying attention? More to the point, during a time when many families will be on summer vacation, how many will actually vote?

Think about it now and make a plan for voting. Early voting at the Board of Elections starts on July 10th. Whether you will be out of town on election day or just don’t want to make the extra trip to vote, an absentee ballot may be your best plan. Pick up an application at the Board of Elections or a public library. You can also download the application form at https://www.electionsonthe.net/oh/licking. Fill out the form to request a ballot, and it will come in the mail. When completed, it must be post-marked by August 6th and received by August 17th in order to be counted.

Something else is at stake implicitly in this special election and every election: the health of our democracy. Exercising the right to vote is not just a means for filling an empty congressional seat this time, it is always an end in itself too, and the most basic duty of a citizen.

Rita Kipp, Chair, League of Women Voters of Licking County