Are Montanans Voting For The Wrong Things?

Just in case you were unaware, there's an election heading Montana's way in November.

I realize that is still months away, but the political ads have already started on radio, TV, and social media and the frequency will only increase as we get closer to the Fall. Not only will Montanans be voting on their next U.S. Senator, but they'll also have a hand in deciding who is the next President of the United States.

As of now, it looks like it comes down to just a handful of candidates for both positions.

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In what appears to be a rematch of the 2020 Presidential elections, Montanans will have to choose between former President Donald Trump or current President Joe Biden. The state voted for Trump in both 2016 and 2020, and if history repeats itself, the 45th President won't have too much of a struggle taking Montana's 4 electoral votes come November.

While cities like Bozeman and Missoula lean to the liberal side, cities like Billings, Helena, and many of the smaller towns tend to vote red and there is no reason to think that 2024 will be any different.

For whatever reason, voting tends to increase during Presidential elections, which is kind of weird when you think about it.  Hear me out, chances are that most of us will never meet the President and in many ways, it doesn't matter who wins, because not a lot of what they do will affect our daily lives.

Oh I know, there is the economy and inflation and all of that, and granted the last few years have been hard for a lot of Montanans.  My point is, that we tend to skip over the elections that affect us to vote in the ones that often don't.

Think about it for a minute...do you vote in school board elections? Do you vote in elections when it comes to deciding who the new Mayor will be or who will represent your town on the city council? These folks make decisions every day that affect you, and the majority of us stay home when it comes time to cast our ballot.

I would never tell you who to vote for, that's not my place, and chances are, unless you agreed with me, you wouldn't listen anyway. I would, however, encourage you to vote.  It's a privilege that many around the world don't have and one that should never be taken for granted.

I would also suggest that voting for local and state elections is just as, if not more important than voting for national elections. The kind of education our kids get matters. The policies that city councils put into place matter. The representation we receive in Helena matters.

Frankly, it all matters, even when we think it doesn't.