Ignore attacks, cast a ballot today

Unless you've recently awakened from a coma - a real one, not one stress-induced by political advertising - you're probably aware today is Election Day. In fact, many Iowans have already cast their ballots either absentee or at satellite voting stations.

As of Monday afternoon, more than 430,000 Iowans had already returned absentee ballots.

For the past few months, too many candidates and the groups supporting them have spent all the money they could possibly collect to convince voters that their choice is between this extreme or the other, this liar or that jerk. And, frankly, those messages were by design.

Marketers behind such advertising understand to whom they appeal. They want you to stay home unless you are a part of the base - those loyal and predictable souls that each candidate knows can be counted upon to show up rain or shine.

What the marketers don't want is an electorate that resists slogans and chooses candidates based on how they work with others and how they use science and nonpartisan facts to untangle our state's and nation's most knotted challenges.

Those who believe ignoring the ballot box is the best way to respond to ugly political spin or a monochrome slate of candidates need to know their absence feeds, instead of slays, the beast they are battling.

It also prevents the individual from sounding off on issues unrelated to candidates - issues that directly impact household budgets and community safety.

In Cedar County, for instance, residents will decide if improving local parks is a budgetary necessity. Johnson County residents are weighing the option of a multimillion dollar courthouse annex and an additional penny in sales tax.

All Iowans are deciding whether or not 70 District Court judges and two court of appeals judges should be retained. (The Iowa State Bar Association has published a judicial performance review: bit.ly/1unb0JG)

For the past several weeks, we've gathered and printed guest columns from the candidates, highlighting their accomplishments and outlining their plan for the future. In addition, our news staff has fact-checked the most prolific political ads, giving context to claims. We've interviewed candidates, tackled policy questions and offered readers our endorsements.

The rest is up to you but only if you show up at the polls today.

' Comments: (319) 398-8262, editorial@thegazette.com