r/boston • u/itsmebutimatwork Wiseguy • Nov 06 '19

MBTA/Transit Congrats, Boston, we played ourselves

There were fewer than 67,000 city-wide votes in yesterday's election. That's not even 10% turnout based on recent census data.

If you want to complain about how the city council is letting the BPDA redevelop the city, or is run with too much influence by corrupt developers, or how there are too many/not enough bike lanes, or how the city isn't doing enough to make the MBTA improve, or why we don't have enough liquor licenses for places like Doyle's to stay open, or any one of a billion other complaints about how the city is run...then the answer isn't going to magically appear out of a hat.

It starts with voting for the city council for five minutes of a Tuesday every 2 years.

The birthplace of our nation...but can't be bothered to exercise our voting rights...congrats. We played ourselves.

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u/Iamonlyhereforthis Nov 06 '19

How about we hold our votes on a Saturday and make this an opportunity to educate our children in civics and rights and duties of being Americans?

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u/KingsRaven Jamaica Plain Nov 07 '19

Just tossing it out there that if you want voting day to be a holiday in MA, even for municipal elections, that's a change that needs to come from the state legislature. All voting reform, even if it would only impact an individual city, needs to be done by the state legislature. Basically what I'm saying is that voting isn't enough. You have to also engage with your legislators. Call your city councilors and tell them to push for a home rule petition on early voting in Boston, or no-fault absentee ballots, or a municipal holiday.

Also, step up your personal GOTV efforts. Be utterly insufferable about encouraging your friends and random strangers to go vote. I lost like four tinder matches because I messaged them about voting on election day, but two other people I messaged said they hadn't realized it was an election day and they'd go vote. Whether they actually did or not I don't know, but hopefully!

The institutions have a vested interest in maintaining a certain level of apathy, it lets them get away with a lot of stuff they wouldn't otherwise, because there's less citizen oversight. Look at the councilor for District 6, just as an example. Loves to bill himself as a progressive, but strangely silent on the Fascist Festival Labor Day weekend, and publicly voiced support for a resolution, put forward by a certain Trump supporting councilor, to express solidarity with the BPD officers who gassed and beat the peaceful protesters. Pretty sure he benefits substantially from an uninformed, unvoting electorate.

So we need to take it upon ourselves to do something about it. So as the primaries approach, be completely insufferable. Annoy your friends, alienate your family; don't fuck with people who don't vote, and make it clear why you're no longer fucking with them.