Voter Guide: 2020

 

How Should I Vote On November 3?

 

“Great minds focus on ideas, average minds focus on events,

and small minds focus on people.”

Eleanor Roosevelt, wife of then President Franklin D. Roosevelt

 

This document will NOT tell you who to vote for.  It will tell you how to approach the upcoming election. 

Step 1:  Check your emotions at the door. 

ANY decision that is made primarily out of emotion, is almost always a bad decision.  Remember, emotions are great servants, they are lousy masters.

Step 2:  Pray…for wisdom, revelation, and a transformed mind (Romans 12:1-2).

Step 3:  Think!  DO YOUR HOMEWORK

Our most fundamental right is the right to vote.  Unfortunately, we are flooded with information.  It is critical that you go into the voting booth or fill out your ballot with a clear head and an informed mind.  That means:

A.      Review the ballot before you vote.  https://mvic.sos.state.mi.us/PublicBallot.  If you do not know your location information, go to https://www.michigan.gov/sos/0,4670,7-127-5647_12539_29836-182651--,00.html 

B.      CAREFULLY READ THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY PLATFORM AND THE REPUBLICAN PARTY PLATFORM.  These are the ideas that will inform and drive the decisions, policies, and legislation that follows. 

For the Democratic Party, go to:  https://democrats.org/where-we-stand/party-platform/

For the Republican Party, go to:  https://ballotpedia.org/The_Republican_Party_Platform,_2020 

C.      Review where each party stands on the issues:  https://ivoterguide.com/news/Political-Parties.

The above link will provide you with unlimited resources on virtually every issue.  Most of the content is taken directly from each party’s political platforms.

Step 4:  If you want to drill down further, look for information from the various candidates on their respective websites.  For those of us who live in Ottawa County, the following candidates are on the ballot:

CONGRESSIONAL

UNITED STATES SENATOR

Vote for not more than 1

Gary Peters

Democratic

John James

Republican

Valerie L. Willis

U.S. Taxpayers

Marcia Squier

Green

Doug Dern

Natural Law

REPRESENTATIVE IN CONGRESS

2nd DISTRICT

Vote for not more than 1

Bryan Berghoef

Democratic

Bill Huizenga

Republican

Max Riekse

Libertarian

Gerald T. Van Sickle

U.S. Taxpayers

Jean-Michel Creviere

Green

LEGISLATIVE

REPRESENTATIVE IN STATE LEGISLATURE

90th DISTRICT

Vote for not more than 1

Christopher P. Banks

Democratic

Bradley Slagh

Republican

STATE BOARD

MEMBER OF THE STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION

Vote for not more than 2

Ellen Cogen Lipton

Democratic

Jason Strayhorn

Democratic

Tami Carlone

Republican

Michelle A. Frederick

Republican

Bill Hall

Libertarian

Richard A. Hewer

Libertarian

Karen Adams

U.S. Taxpayers

Douglas Levesque

U.S. Taxpayers

Mary Anne Hering

Working Class

Hali McEachern

Working Class

Tom Mair

Green

REGENT OF THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN

Vote for not more than 2

Mark Bernstein

Democratic

Shauna Ryder Diggs

Democratic

Sarah Hubbard

Republican

Carl Meyers

Republican

James L. Hudler

Libertarian

Eric Larson

Libertarian

Ronald E. Graeser

U.S. Taxpayers

Crystal Van Sickle

U.S. Taxpayers

Michael Mawilai

Green

Keith Butkovich

Natural Law

STATE BOARD - Continued

TRUSTEE OF MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY

Vote for not more than 2

Brian Mosallam

Democratic

Rema Ella Vassar

Democratic

Pat O'Keefe

Republican

Tonya Schuitmaker

Republican

Will Tyler White

Libertarian

Janet M. Sanger

U.S. Taxpayers

John Paul Sanger

U.S. Taxpayers

Brandon Hu

Green

Robin Lea Laurain

Green

Bridgette Abraham-Guzman

Natural Law

GOVERNOR OF WAYNE STATE UNIVERSITY

Vote for not more than 2

Eva Garza Dewaelsche

Democratic

Shirley Stancato

Democratic

Don Gates

Republican

Terri Lynn Land

Republican

Jon Elgas

Libertarian

Christine C. Schwartz

U.S. Taxpayers

Susan Odgers

Green

Step 5:  Familiarize yourself with the non-partisan section of the ballot.  A brief civics lesson:  The USA is NOT a democracy!  A pure democracy functions on the basis of a simple majority (anything over 50%).  We do not function that way.  We are a Constitutional Republic.  Our government functions as per the dictates of our constitution, which includes things like a Senate and the Electoral College, neither of which would be found in a pure democracy. 

This is why each state and our federal government must follow the mandates of constitutions.  Who determines if the laws that are passed are in keeping with those constitutions?  The judicial branch of government.  Our constitution has designated the legislative branch of government (The House of Representatives and the Senate) to make laws.  The Executive branch (Presidents and Governors) ensure that those laws are carried out.  The Judicial branch (The Supreme Court of the US and each state supreme court) ensures that those laws are consistent with our constitutions(s).  All judges tend to be either more “Originalist” or “Non-Originalist.”

In the context of United States law, originalism is an approach regarding the interpretation of the Constitution that asserts that all statements in the constitution must be interpreted based on the original understanding "at the time it was adopted". This concept views the Constitution as stable from the time of enactment and that the meaning of its contents can be changed only by amendments enacted by the legislature.  In this view, interpretation of a written constitution or law should be based on what reasonable persons living at the time of its adoption would have understood the ordinary meaning of the text to be.  Originalist judges are less likely to try and make laws, and more likely to interpret laws.

Other judges, non-originalists, view the constitution as a “living document” that we can reinterpret based on political expediency or the political position of the judges themselves.  Rather than asking, “what did the framers of the constitution mean when they wrote it,” they ask, “what do we think they meant based on our own personal convictions and the times in which we live?”  Therefore, we can change the meaning of the constitution without including the legislative or executive branches of government.  Non-Originalists are more likely to try and make laws, a function reserved for our legislative branch of government.

In the following chart, “NA” indicates “Does Not Apply”

NONPARTISAN SECTION

JUDICIAL

JUSTICE OF SUPREME COURT

8 Year Term

Vote for not more than 2

Susan L. Hubbard

 Non-Originalist

Mary Kelly

 Originalist

Bridget Mary McCormack
Justice of Supreme Court

  Non-Originalist

Kerry Lee Morgan

 Non-Originalist 

Katherine Mary Nepton

  Non-Originalist

Brock Swartzle

 Originalist 

Elizabeth M. Welch

  Non-Originalist

 

JUDGE OF COURT OF APPEALS

COURT OF APPEALS DISTRICT 3

Incumbent Position

6 Year Term

Vote for not more than 2

Mark Thomas Boonstra
Judge of Court of Appeals

  Originalist 

Jane E. Markey
Judge of Court of Appeals

  Originalist 

JUDGE OF COURT OF APPEALS

COURT OF APPEALS DISTRICT 3

Incumbent Position

Partial Term Ending 01/01/2023

Vote for not more than 1

James Robert Redford
Judge of Court of Appeals

 NA

JUDGE OF CIRCUIT COURT

20TH CIRCUIT COURT

Incumbent Position

6 Year Term

Vote for not more than 1

Jon H. Hulsing
Judge of Circuit Court

  NA

 

JUDGE OF DISTRICT COURT

58TH DISTRICT COURT

Incumbent Position

6 Year Term

Vote for not more than 1

Bradley S. Knoll
Judge of District Court

  NA

 

JUDGE OF DISTRICT COURT

58TH DISTRICT COURT

Non-Incumbent Position

6 Year Term

Vote for not more than 1

Juanita F. Bocanegra

  Originalist  

Vernon D. Helder

   Originalist 

LOCAL SCHOOL DISTRICT

LOCAL SCHOOL DISTRICT BOARD MEMBER

ZEELAND PUBLIC SCHOOLS

6 Year Term

Vote for not more than 3

Todd Brennan

 NA

Chad Creevy

 NA

Tom DenHerder

NA

Step 6:  Look at the ballot proposals.

Ballot proposals:

Proposal 20-1

A proposed constitutional amendment to allow money from oil and gas mining on state-owned lands to continue to be collected in state funds for land protection and creation and maintenance of parks, nature areas, and public recreation facilities; and to describe how money in those state funds can be spent.

This proposed constitutional amendment would:

Allow the State Parks Endowment Fund to continue receiving money from sales of oil and gas from state-owned lands to improve, maintain and purchase land for State parks, and for Fund administration, until its balance reaches $800,000,000.

Require subsequent oil and gas revenue from state-owned lands to go into the Natural Resources Trust Fund.

Require at least 20% of Endowment Fund annual spending go toward State park improvement.

Require at least 25% of Trust Fund annual spending go toward parks and public recreation areas and at least 25% toward land conservation.

Should this proposal be adopted?

FYI:  Groups and individuals who are more liberal are urging voters to vote NO on this proposal, while conservative are urging voters to vote YES on this proposal. 

Proposal 20-2

A proposed constitutional amendment to require a search warrant in order to access a person’s electronic data or electronic communications.

This proposed constitutional amendment would:

Prohibit unreasonable searches or seizures of a person’s electronic data and electronic communications.

Require a search warrant to access a person’s electronic data or electronic communications, under the same conditions currently required for the government to obtain a search warrant to search a person’s house or seize a person’s things.

Should this proposal be adopted? 

FYI:  No groups or individuals on either side of the political spectrum have put forward a coherent argument for voting either way.  Here are things to consider as you vote.

If Proposal 2 is Adopted The Michigan Constitution would provide specific protections to electronic data and communications. Law enforcement would be required to obtain warrants to access information stored in these formats.

If Proposal 2 is Rejected Law enforcement would continue the current practice of seeking warrants to access electronic data and communications based on interpretation of the “Searches and Seizures” provision of the Michigan Constitution and the Bill of Rights in the U.S. Constitution.

Major Issues to Consider: Article I of the Michigan Constitution contains many of the personal protections found in the Bill of Rights in the U.S. Constitution. While neither constitution explicitly protects electronic data and communications, Michigan law enforcement agencies mostly treat this information the same as the protections for “persons, houses, papers, and effects/possessions” found in the U.S. and state constitutions. Proposal 2 attempts to remove any ambiguity.

Step 7:  Pray.  Again.  For our nation and the integrity of the election.

Step 8:  Vote.  Encourage others to do the same.