Letter: Straight-party ticket: Take time to find out about each political candidate
Voters in Herriman line up to cast their votes Tuesday, Nov. 6, 2012 at Butterfield Elementary school.
Scott G Winterton, Deseret News
Long lines and a feeling a patriotism didn't surprise me on Election Day — but a simple button on my ballot did: Vote a straight ticket. With one touch on the screen, I could let party politics make all my decisions.
Seeing this disturbed me and got me thinking: How much do we really think as voters, and how much do we allow loyalty to party to dictate our opinions?
I try to evaluate each candidate as an individual — regardless of party. To my knowledge, no party has yet mastered the art of cloning. Therefore, voting for a party doesn't ensure you'll get a candidate you can trust or agree with.
If you've carefully evaluated each candidate and still want to vote a straight ticket, that's fine with me. But don't forgo learning about each candidate's differences and platforms, trusting blindly in a political party.
Sierra Wilson
Provo
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I have been an independent liberal all my life, my first election was McGovern/Nixon, and I moved to Utah shortly after. The writer implores people to not vote straight ticket, and to try and determine what each candidate represents. After voting More..
Ban straight party voting. Force us all to vote for individuals. A good place to start for a true democracy.
One button - Straight Party voting.
Perfect for Single Party, Totalitarian Regimes such as Nazi Germany, Communist China, North Korea, Iran and Cuba.
Utah is only one [Repblican dominated closed door legislative meeting] step More..