The Missing Piece

Remember Saturday? The twenty-second of April? You may recall there was the annual surge of attention on Columbia elections. Even CA got involved with their Columbia Votes campaign.

So, what happened?

We don’t have a local radio station, or television station, or even a daily newspaper. While CA promoted the elections, they haven’t reported the results. And they may not feel that it’s their place. I have seen a few statements from individual Village Associations but overall it feels like…nothing.

Nothing happened.

Where is the one central place that Columbia residents (or any interested parties, for that matter) could look to find out the outcome of Saturday’s elections? Am I missing something?

I do know that in my own village, Oakland Mills, the deadline for mail-in ballots means that we’ll be waiting a bit longer to know the final results. And that’s fine with me if it means we have included more voters. But, if you don’t live in Oakland Mills, and you’re not obsessive about knowing everyone else’s business, how would you know that?

Voting procedures and rules vary from village to village. I guess how they are reported varies, too. I don’t necessarily mean to suggest that everything be standardized, although it might be worth discussing. I am suggesting that there be one unified way that results are reported and that telling voters must be integrated into the process.

I would like a handy-dandy protocol for what happens after the election. It should not involve searching the internet and all your social media accounts as though you have lost a contact lens.

It should not be a mystery. It should not be a secret. It should be as easy to find as the daily weather or a school lunch menu. If there actually is such a thing and I am unaware then I have just publicized my ignorance. Well, nothing ventured, nothing gained.

Why should people engage in this election process when, after the voting is over - - pffft! - - the whole thing simply disappears? After all, if it were really important, wouldn’t reporting the results be a big deal? No one should be in a position to say, “Well, I voted in that Columbia election but, I never really heard anything about it. What’s up with that?”

I don’t know why, but it appears to be a missing piece in the process.

Comments

Getting Fresh

One of my favorite days in the Spring comes when this year’s list of Farmer’s Markets is released. That happened this week. New this year are markets in Old Ellicott City and the “Merriweather Market” which, according to the address, will be located here . I mistakenly thought at first glance that it was in the new-construction part of the Merriweather District. I find the name confusing considering its actual location. I’m going to guess that this market is an initiative of the Howard Hughes Corporation because the name seems chosen more for branding purposes than anything else. Alas, the market in Maple Lawn is gone. The thread on the markets on the County Executive’s FB page will provide you with quite the education in who actually runs the Farmers Markets vs what people often think is going on. Short answer: they are not chosen nor run by the county. Each market is an independent entity, sometimes started by community volunteers, other times supported by local businesses...

They Can Wait

This is not a typical Saturday post. That’s because, in my community, it’s not a typical Saturday. Oakland Mills High School, after years of deferred repair, needs massive renovation. It’s pretty simple: when you don’t fix a problem it gets bigger. The school system itself said the the OMHS school building was "no longer conducive to learning" back in 2018. 2018 . But Thursday the Boad of Education voted to push it out of the lineup of important projects which will be given the go-ahead to proceed soonest. In my opinion it’s a terrible decision and sets a dangerous precedent. To explain, here’s the advocacy letter I sent in support of Oakland Mills High School. I was rather proud of it. I am writing to ask you to proceed with needed renovation at Oakland Mills High School in the most timely and comprehensive manner humanly possible. I have read the letter sent to you by the Oakland Mills Community Association and I am in complete agreement. You are extremel...

What Kids Are Thinking

It’s a Monday in February, and if you guessed that a lot of Howard County students have the new cell phone policy on their minds, you’d be right. It will mean big changes and it will be stressful, no matter how much good we hope it will do in the long run. But on this particular Monday cell phones might not be top of mind, as amazing as that seems. Some kids will go to school wondering if they or family members will be seized by ICE. Some will fear that their parents’ employment will be purged by the ongoing rampage of Elon Musk and his cronies through Federal Government. Some fear heightened and renewed racism as programs that supprted Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion are vilified and destroyed. Some worry that it soon won’t be safe for them to use the bathroom in school anymore. It goes without saying that some kids fear going to school every day because of the prevalence of school shootings. And look! Here’s something new to fear. That old hate group, Libs of TikTo...

Village Green/Town²

Search This Blog