I'm living in Boston, starting my second year of law school, but I'm still registered in North Carolina. On may way home yesterday I dropped my ballot in the mail.
As important as North Carolina is for the Presidency and the Senate this year, I decided to vote in North Carolina with some reluctance.
Question 1 on the Massachusetts ballots would abolish the state income tax. I'm incredibly proud to live in a state that gives me the right to marry and I'm phone banking against CA Prop. 8 this weekend, but MA Q1 is almost as dangerous. For anyone who lives in Mass. please vote against Question 1 and encourage your friends and family to do the same. This thing came dangerously close to passing in 2002, and it will be disastrous if it passes this time around.
As for my votes back home. I voted straight ticket for all the partisan offices (as a matter of principle I bubble in each race rather than voting "straight ticket"). I ended up voting for all of the Democrats up for judgeships. Though as a law student, I researched each of them individually. (Also, I don't think judges should be elected, so I cast blank ballots for anyone running unopposed.)
To make it easy for my fellow North Carolinians, the Democratic Judges are:
Supreme Court (Edmonds Seat)-
Suzanne Reynolds
Court of Appeals (Tyson Seat)-
Judge Kristin Ruth
Sam J. Ervin, IV
Court of Appeals (Martin Seat)-
Judge John C. Martin
Court of Appeals (Wynn Seat)-
Judge James A. Wynn, Jr
Court of Appeals (Arrowood Seat)-
Judge John S. Arrowood
Court of Appeals (McCullough Seat)-
Judge Cheri L. Beasley
Court of Appeals (Stephens Seat)-
Judge Linda Stephens
(The State Party's list, and links to each campaign are here.)
For the Tyson seat on the Court of Appeals I voted for Judge Ruth and I hope my fellow NC voters will join me. Judge Ruth has more experience, and a long list of endorsements, including the NC Ass'n of Women Attorneys and the NC Academy of Trial Lawyers.
Anyway, here's my take away. For NC voters vote for Judge Kristin Ruth. For Mass voters vote No on Question 1 (I'm in favor of Q 2, decriminalizing small amounts of marijuana, and Q 3, banning greyhound racing, as well, but they're in a different league from Q 1.) Finally, I'd encourage Boston voters to choose Chang-Diaz for the Senate--I'm planning on volunteering for her campaign.