A lot at stake in Tuesday’s elections

vote graphicBy MIKE WILLIAMS

Patriot Publishing

Tuesday, Nov. 3 is Election Day and there is a lot at stake this year. And while these are the mid-term elections, and control of both houses of Congress is up for grabs, local referendums have stolen the spotlight.

In one, voters in the Town of Pulaski only will decide if pari-mutuel wagering will be allowed within the town.

Passage of this question will open the door to Pulaski becoming another location in Virginia for a Rosie’s Gaming Emporium.

Rosie’s is a subsidiary of Churchill Downs Inc., which is headquartered in Louisville, Kentucky. Churchill Downs Inc.  is best known as the home of the world-famous Kentucky Derby.

Rosie’s currently has eight locations in Virginia. Voters in Pulaski and Amherst could add to that number on Nov. 3.

A second referendum asks all voters in Pulaski County (including the towns of Dublin and Pulaski) if the county should levy a one percent sales tax to provide revenue solely for capital projects for the construction or renovation of public schools in the county. If approved, the tax will end on June 30, 2046.

Voters in the City of Radford will also vote on the sales tax question in their city.

Municipal elections will also be held in Pulaski, Dublin and Radford.

Three candidates are on the ballot for three seats on Pulaski Town Council. Candidates include Jeremy L. Clark, Brooks R. Dawson and Michael W. Williams.

In Dublin, candidates are Jared M. Smith, P. Douglas Poe and Debbie P. Hager.

In Radford voters will elect a new mayor, new members of City Council and the city’s School Board.

Seth Gillespie is the only candidate for Mayor to replace David Horton who did not seek re-election.

Council candidates are Jonathan Stewart, Charlie Meeks, Doug Kanipe, Bill Kovarik and Chad McClanahan. Voters can select only two.

School board candidates include Gloria Boyd, Ed Dickenson, Jane Swing and Fallon Kreye. Voters can select only three.

Also on the ballot are candidates for one of the state’s U.S. Senate seats and the House of Representatives member from the Ninth District.

Three-term incumbent Mark Warner, a Democrat is seeking a fourth six-year term in the Senate. He is challenged by Republican Bert Mizusawa.

In the House race incumbent Rep. H. Morgan Griffith is seeking re-election to a ninth term. He is opposed by Democrat Joy Powers.

All 435 seats in the House of Representatives are up for election Nov. 3, along with 35 of the 100 Senate seats and 36 state governors.

Currently the Republican Party holds a 218 to 214 edge over Democrats in the House. Two seats are currently vacant and another is held by an Independent.

Finally on the ballot are three state Constitutional Amendment questions.

Question one: “Should the Constitution of Virginia be amended to (i) protect the freedom to make personal decisions about prenatal care, childbirth, postpartum care, birth control, abortion, miscarriage management, and fertility care; (ii) protect doctors, nurses, and patients from being punished for these decisions; and (iii) allow for restrictions on access to abortion during the third trimester of pregnancy except when the patient’s health is at risk or the pregnancy cannot survive?”

Question two: “Should the Constitution of Virginia be amended to (i) remove the ban on same-sex marriage; (ii) affirm that two adults may marry regardless of sex, gender, or race; and (iii) require all legally valid marriages to be treated equally under the law?”

Question three: “Should the Constitution of Virginia be amended (i) to provide for the fundamental right to vote in the Commonwealth, (ii) to revise the qualifications of voters so that a person convicted of a felony is not entitled to vote during his period of incarceration but is automatically invested with the right to vote upon release from incarceration, and (iii) to update the existing prohibition on voting by persons found to be mentally incompetent to instead apply to persons who have been found to lack the capacity to understand the act of voting?”

The last day for early voting in Pulaski County is Saturday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Registrar’s Office at 87 Commerce Street, Pulaski.

Early voting has been popular this year. As of Oct. 28 in Pulaski County, 4,301 early votes have been cast as compared to 3,134 two years ago.

In Radford, 1,586 have been cast compared to 1,287 two years ago.

Polls open Tuesday at 6 a.m. and remain open until 7 p.m.

You do need an ID to vote.