2015
VOTER GUIDE
VOT DAMM E, I T!
BY AMBER STEARNS AND MICHAEL RHEINHEIMER • ASTEARNS@NUVO.NET
T
he faces of the legislative body that runs in Unigov in Indianapolis will change with the upcoming municipal election. Following the elections in 2011 the districts for the CityCounty Council were redrawn and approved in 2012. One year later, the state Legislature approved the elimination of the four at-large council seats that represented the entire county, reducing the council from a 29-member body to a 25-member body. In some districts two incumbents are battling for one seat while in others the new districts mean a brand new face to the council regardless of who wins. The face of the City-County Council of Indianapolis will change. It is inevitable. Exactly what that face will look like will depend on voters and who shows up to the polls Tuesday, November 3. Since the Republican Party held the mayor’s office in 2011, the GOP controlled the redistricted lines, which statistically favor their party 15-10. The atlarge seats were historically held by Democrats and more often than not gave Democrats the numbers needed to hold a majority.
TURN FOR
What will that council look like on November 4? Only voters can decide that for certain. So here is the chance to learn about who is running and what they stand for. Of course, it is hard to make the case to voters that they should care to take time out of their day to cast a ballot when the candidates on that ballot can’t take the time to respond to a simple 8 question survey to get a feel for their position on the issues. It is fascinating to see, in this day and age of cyber-communication and all things web-universe, how little information can be found on the internet about some local candidates. Some do not have websites or if they do, it is merely a vehicle for fundraising with little to no information about who they are as potential city leaders. It can make a researcher’s job more than a little difficult. And for the casual voter, it’s makes the question, “Why should I care?” even that much harder to answer and the decision to head to the nearest coffee shop instead of the polls that much easier. Read ahead, then make plans to vote. The future of Indianapolis depends on it. n
ALL 25 DISTRICTS! NUVO // 100% RECYCLED PAPER // 10.21.15 - 10.28.15 // VOTER GUIDE V1