Kingdom Voting (Part 12): Downballot Races and Referenda

National races get all the attention, but they are not always the most important. Most Christians underestimate the importance of city councils, county commissions, school boards, and state legislatures. The federal government is not the reason that liberal cities and states look so much different than conservative cities and states. Those distinctions happen at the state and local levels.

Ballots are organized with the people furthest away from you at the top, and those closest to you at the bottom. The downballot races are the ones that affect your life the most, and the ones where your vote counts the most. Your vote may be one of about 156 million for the president, but only one out of hundreds for city council. These races are surprisingly close. In fact, Monroe, North Carolina had to determine its mayor with a coin toss in 2023 after both candidates received 970 votes. One more vote could have allowed the people to determine who their mayor would be, rather than leaving it to chance. 

Sometimes, issues arise that require a vote directly from the people. This is called a referendum. In a referendum, every voter gets a chance to vote on the proposed law instead of leaving it to the legislature. Referenda often use technical language, and many voters do not truly understand the measure for what they are voting. As an example, Virginians are currently voting on this referendum: “Should the Constitution of Virginia be amended to allow the General Assembly to temporarily adopt new congressional districts to restore fairness in the upcoming elections, while ensuring Virginia’s standard redistricting process resumes for all future redistricting after the 2030 census?” What do you suppose it means?

The question is about amending Virginia’s Constitution for a one-time mid-cycle redistricting, allowing the urban Democrats who control the General Assembly to re-gerrymander the election maps so they can give themselves a permanent majority. It is disenfranchisement. Does their Constitution really need amended “just this once” to “make things fair again?” Unlikely, but many voters will see “restore fairness” and vote for it anyway. This is why it is important to carefully research any referendum before voting on it.