This election cycle is, quite frankly, vomit inducing. Never has it been more obvious that the media is in the tank for the Democrats, and that the GOP on the national level has lost their spine. Leaving us saddled with two extremely unlikable candidates for President.

Which has led many to decide against voting for POTUS. In fact, many are walking away from voting entirely.

And I firmly believe that is the wrong choice.

The POTUS race isn’t the only game in town. The down ticket ballot deserves and needs our attention. Why? Because those races and ballot issues are just as if not MORE important than the Presidential race. Colorado is a prime example.

Legislative: It is likely that Democrat Reps Diana DeGette, Jared Polis, Ed Perlmutter, and Sen. Michael Bennet will keep their seats. Its also likely that Republicans Mike Coffman, Ken Buck, and Scott Tipton will keep their seats as well.

Statewide:

HIGHLIGHTS
Eight seats up for election are open seats with no incumbent running due to term limits.
Democrats are fielding unopposed candidates in six districts, while Republicans have seven unchallenged candidates.
If Republicans intend to make any gains, it will be in the 52 districts that have general election competition between two major party candidates; only 18 seats were competitive or mildly competitive in 2014.[1] More Democrats (7) than Republicans (1) are ineligible due to term limits.

Just a few votes can shift the results one way or another. Those few votes, as we’ve seen here in the past can mean the difference between awful gun control laws in 2014 that led to companies leaving the state, or halting future efforts in their tracks.

State ballot issues: We face a significant number of ballot issues this cycle. Those issues, which would mean major changes to statutes and to the Colorado Constitution include:

Unaffiliated Voter Participation in Primary Elections and Presidential Primary Elections

Signature Requirements for Constitutional Amendments

State Minimum Wage Increase

Sure he’s “sympathetic,” but is raising minimum wage to $12 viable? Seattle’s experiment continues to fail. Meanwhile Colorado’s minimum wage is ALREADY higher than that of the national average. Furthermore, it won’t benefit the poor families with no workers in the workforce. The liberal Denver Post isn’t a fan of this issue either. They point out that the mandatory cost of living increases written into the measure make it even more problematic and have a strong likelihood of increasing costs of goods and services. But that hasn’t stopped local politicians from jumping on the stupid $15 a day challenge.

Property Tax Increase

Physician Assisted Suicide – Dr. Michelle Stanford outlines the very real problems with Proposition 106

Tobacco Tax Increase

Amendment 72 is specifically designed to fund two state agencies. Never mind the fact that Amendment 35 ALREADY increased tobacco taxes in 2005!

Amendment 69/ColoradoCare

Get that?

• A board elected with very little oversight
• Tax increases to personal and payroll taxes that, in all honesty, could increase to well over 10%.
• Those who DO have healthcare such as Tricare will have to pay into this new system also.
• State income tax rate – before ANY other tax increases on ballot will increase up to 14.63%
• Paying the healthcare tax doesn’t guarantee coverage under this plan
• ColoradoCare can accept gifts, donations, and grants from anyone – what could possibly go wrong?
• There will be price and per capita cost of healthcare controls arbitrarily set in place
• In other words, this would be worse, far worse than Obamacare

Local ballot issues: Across Colorado there are numerous races for school board, city council, and county commissioner. There are bond issues, more tax increases, and here in Denver a proposal to pass a cannabis (pot) ordinance designating specific spots across the city as public consumption zones.

Folks, who we elect on the local, state, and national level will impact us in a myriad of ways. It also affects us in terms of what those we elect chose do or not do on the national level to keep, as our great Constitution designed, POTUS in check.

In other words, the down ticket races have a direct bearing on where we as a Republic will be going forward.

Yes, the Presidential candidates are unpalatable. I get that the vitriol and rhetoric surrounding both has been such that I feel we are all having to do a backstroke through the sewer on an hourly basis. I get it.

In spite of that, I urge all our readers to VOTE. Look at all the down ticket races on the local and state level. Check out those ballot issues and what they could mean to your pocket book and please VOTE. Your vote, your voice, the voice our Founders fought for us to have DOES matter.