By Dale King
BOCA RATON – For a year or more, the nation’s electorate has been listening to candidate after candidate either extol his or her own virtues and/or rip apart his or her opponent.
It’s time to stop the rhetoric and put the question of who will run the federal, county and state governments to the ultimate test – to a vote of American citizens.
Election Day is scheduled for Tuesday, Nov. 6 – barring any possible last-minute changes caused by Hurricane Sandy.
Election officials say Boca Raton and South County residents will be at the polls in big numbers. Actually, many of the have already queued up to cast their ballots. Supervisor of Elections Susan Bucher said on her website that as of Monday, Oct. 29, 36,795 people had cast ballots during the first three days of early voting which began Oct. 27.
The Hagen Ranch Library in Delray got the lion’s share with 4,424 people casting ballots there during the first three days. Then came Boca Raton City Hall, 3,702; West Boca Library, 3,672 and Delray Beach City Hall, 2,627.
The last day for early voting is Saturday, November 3. Voting times are from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Atop the ballot are the major presidential candidates: Democrat incumbents Barack Obama and Vice president Joe Biden, and challengers Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan on the GOP side.
Actually, there are nine other candidates seeking the nation’s highest office, including actress-comedienne Roseanne Barr.
In the U.S. Senate race, incumbent Democrat Bill Nelson is being challenged by Republican Connie Mack.
Four U.S. House seats are also on the ballot in Palm Beach County:
District 18: Republican Allen B. West and Democrat Patrick Murphy.
District 20: Democratic incumbent Alcee Hastings facing two challengers, Randall Terry, who has no party affiliation, and write-in candidate Anthony Dutrow.
District 21: Incumbent Democrat Ted Deutch facing two unaffiliated candidates, Cesar Henao and W. Michael “Mike’ Trout.
District 22: Democrat Lois Frankel and Republican Adam Hasner.
In other races:
State Senate District 25: Republican Melanie Peterson and Democrat Joseph Abruzzo.
State Senate District 34: Because of redistricting, this race has two incumbents, Republican Ellyn Bogdanoff and Democrat Maria Sachs.
State House, District 81: Democrat Kevin Rader vs. Republican James Ryan O’Hara.
State House, District 89: Incumbent Republican Bill Hager and Democrat Tom Gustafson.
State House, District 90: Lori Berman, a Democrat, against Republican Sean Michael Kasper.
County Commission, District 5: Democrat Mary Lou Berger against Republican Paul Tocker.
Greater Boca Raton Beach & Park District, seat 5: Steven Mark Engel and Tom Thayer.
Tax Collector Anne Gannon is running unopposed.
There are 11 constitutional amendments and two county questions on the ballot. They are explained elsewhere in this edition.