<div> Election season is under way and so is our election coverage. Two weeks ago, we wrote about the Wake County Democratic Party’s <a href=https://indyweek.com/news/wake/endorsements-split-wake-county-dems/ rel=nofollow> decision to endorse candidates in nonpartisan local elections </a> that pit Democrats against other Democratic candidates. It’s been a divisive issue, as our readers note, but there are so many important races—and issues—on voters’ ballots this fall. From reader Kreth Ball-Johnson via email: If recent Indy Week coverage tells us anything, it’s that Wake County is certainly in for a contentious political season, up and down the ballot. Republican vs. Democrat, Democrat vs. Democrat. Something most of us can agree on, though, is the role libraries serve in bringing our community together as well as nourishing our minds. The mission of Wake County Public Libraries is to instill the love of reading and to foster the pursuit of knowledge for the residents of Wake County. The library is a place for everyone. This fall we all have an opportunity to help build a stronger library system by supporting the library bond referendum. New libraries to support our neighbors in Rolesville and Apex (Friendship area). Replacement and expansion of libraries to support our neighbors in Raleigh (Athens Drive area), Wendell, and Fuquay-Varina. As well as renovations and refreshes at countless library facilities across the county. The projects supported by this bond would put 87% of county residents within 10 minutes of a library. $142 million is an intimidating figure, but spread amongst county residents, the individual financial impact is estimated to be a $2.50 tax increase per $100,000 of assessed property valuation. It seems a small price to pay for all we receive in return. I hope you will all join me in voting for the library bond in November. <nbtemplate data-id="AdPlaceholder" data-content="JTdCJTdE"></nbtemplate> Summer intern Avery Sloan wrote about <a href=https://indyweek.com/news/northcarolina/the-battle-for-ballot-access-third-party-candidates-strive-for-change-and-votes-in-north-carolina/ rel=nofollow> some of the third-party candidates </a> that will appear on voters’ ballots this fall, as well as ranked-choice voting. From reader Allen Ramsier via email: I would like to amplify Duke University public policy professor Asher Hildebrand’s points about ranked choice voting (RCV) in the August 13th article about third parties in the upcoming 2024 election. As Hildebrand notes, a vote for a third-party candidate can be a spoiler for a major party candidate in a close race. However, asking a voter to forego his or her preference for a third-party candidate in favor of choosing the lesser of two evils from the major party candidates denies that voter from truly voting their preference and conscience. Implementing ranked choice voting would allow voters to express their true preference and will result in an election where the winner earns a majority of votes. RCV benefits the voter by allowing a preferred candidate choice and then gives the voter an option to rank the majority party selections in an instant run-off. The major party candidates won’t ultimately have their vote count reduced by third-party votes if they sufficiently appeal to independent voters to earn a second or third choice ranking. Voters win, candidates win, and democracy wins! <nbtemplate data-id="AdPlaceholder" data-content="JTdCJTdE"></nbtemplate> Ranked choice voting has been used for over a century in elections across the country and is used currently in 28 states. Other problems that ranked choice voting addresses are: The cost of elections is reduced by removing the need for run-off elections like the 2024 NC run-off election for just three Republican-only candidates. Since run-off elections attract far fewer voters and so are less representative, ranked choice voting provides instant run offs when the highest number of voters come to the polls. Election results are faster because of the instant run-off of ranked choice voting. In Oregon and Alaska voter-focused independent candidates became viable options over career politicians and special interests. In Maine the tone of campaigns improved as candidates appealed to a broader range of voters rather than just a limited base. <nbtemplate data-id="AdPlaceholder" data-content="JTdCJTdE"></nbtemplate> With the option to vote for a single candidate or to rank multiple candidates, pessimism about voting will be replaced with more voter power and choice. My research into improving voting processes led me to Better Ballot North Carolina which is working to make RCV an option across the state (betterballotnc.org). Comment on this story at backtalk@indyweek.com. The post <a href=https://indyweek.com/news/backtalk-the-role-libraries-serve-in-bringing-our-community-together/ rel=nofollow> Backtalk: “The role libraries serve in bringing our community together” </a> appeared first on <a href=https://indyweek.com rel=nofollow> INDY Week </a> . </div>

Mountain View, CA

And other things our readers told us. 
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