metro

Vote Tuesday!

M

ichigan's primary will be held
Tuesday, Aug. 7. The primary
sets the stage for the Nov. 6 gen-
eral election, in which Americans will be
choosing — among others — the president
of the United States for the next four years.
While some of us will vote a straight
party ticket come November, many of us
will vote for members from each political
party.
You won't be able to do that on Tuesday,
Aug. 7. You'll have to choose between vot-
ing for Democrats or Republicans.
Michigan has an "open" primary in

which voters are given a ballot with a
column listing each qualified party's can-
didates. Voters then decide which party
primary they wish to participate in by
voting only in the column of their party
choice while in the privacy of the voting
station. Voting for candidates in more than
a single party's column will void the entire
partisan ballot.
This means that if you want to cast your
vote for a Democrat for Congress or a
Republican for the state legislature, you'll
have to choose one or the other.
Also, several communities will be vot-

ing on millage proposals in the primary,
including Berkley, Bloomfield, Highland,
Oakland Township, Orion, Waterford,
West Bloomfield and White Lake among
others.
The city of Oak Park has two proposals
on the ballot: to amend the city charter
to exclude public safety officials from the
retirement system established by the city
charter and to establish a public safety
retirement system.
Oakland County voters will also be
casting their ballots for and against
two countywide millage proposals: one

.02 mill (20 cents per $1,000 of tax-
able value) to establish an Art Institute
Authority to support the Detroit Institute
of the Arts and a public transportation
renewal millage of .59 mills (59 cents per
$1,000 of taxable value).
Polling places will be open from 7 a.m.
to 7 p.m. Check online to find your poll-
ing place at www.vote411.org/pollfinder .
php as several precinct changes have
recently been made.:

Log on to Facebook.com/DetroitJewishNews
to take our poll.

Speaking Out

Q: Does whether a candidate is Jewish make you more likely to vote for him or her? Why or why not?

"No, I look
for the best
candidate. I
don't care
about a
candidate's
religion or ethnicity when
it comes to their politics."

"Sometimes. If I don't
know their political record,
I might vote for the Jewish
candidate, or I might not
vote for anyone."

- Judy Fineman, West Bloomfield

- Barbara Dubrinsky,

Farmington Hills

*15.1-'1445ti;

"I know
some Jews
who
represent
my views
and some
who don't, so no. I'm more
likely to vote for the person
who best represents my
views."

- Susan Friedman, Southfield

"Yes,
because I
make an
assumption
that their
views and
background are similar to
mine and, therefore, we
would agree on most
topics."

"Being
Jewish
becomes a
factor, just
as gender
and age.
But you have to go beyond
the label. You don't assume
anything; you have to
delve into background,
experience and
accomplishments."

"Yes,
because I'm
familiar
with the
cultural
and
attitudinal norms of Jews."

- Karen Myerson,

- Dennis King, West Bloomfield

- Haven King, West Bloomfield

- Janis Sattler, West Bloomfield

Bloomfield Hills

"No. Their
religion
doesn't
matter; it's
their
platform
that matters. I care more
about what they have to
say in regard to their
politics than if we share a
religion."

- Jodi Weinfeld, Farmington Hills

sue....

14 August 2 2012

"Yes. I find
its more
likely that I
would share
the culture
and
background of the
candidate if we share a
religious similarity."

P

'N'W,4*.1;47t,7