Its election time Westfield! Signs are up and residents are tuned in as we head to election day on November 7. My one word of advice to all Westfield residents….DO YOUR HOMEWORK. Please give serious consideration to not voting strictly down the party line and consider each race and each respective candidate based on their merits, views, and how each has run his or her campaign. In the recent past, I remember the Democratic Party posting “Vote Column A” posters in the empty storefront of the apartments near the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. traffic circle. No other context…just vote the party line. It is almost like telling voters “Don’t think about it, just vote as you are told!” In another election there was also a slate directive for the BOE elections which resulted in the controversial Sahar Aziz being elected. This hyper-partisanship and drive to vote for “the slate” and not the individual candidate was never a “thing” when I moved to Westfield in 2005. I voted for who I thought was the right candidate for my specific ward and for school board based on their views and how they conducted themselves during the campaign (and definitely not via a party affiliation litmus test).

I kindly ask you to remember that your vote is truly your vote. If after examining the positions and reflecting on the tenor of each of the candidates, you decide to vote all Democrat or all Republican then so be it and good for you. But if you do that, please do it because you took the time to examine each candidate and picked the candidate who you believe will best represent your views and not simply the view of our mayor. Personally, I have chosen to vote for Dave Kiefer for Ward 4. I believe he will take the time to research the issues, listen to all his constituents (regardless of party affiliation), and make informed decisions without succumbing to pressures coming from the mayor, any political party, or even your peers.

Paola Briones-Marro Westfield

Paid Advertorial leaderhawk.com/bulletin