Candidates for town leadership with no campaign information online?

Submitted by bubbastars t3_ycp9s4 in Maine

As a new resident of Scarborough where this applies to a number of candidates on the ballot, I'm curious how people get information on candidates and their platform when the candidate has no contact info, a single page online, or any record of them having publicly talked to voters, gotten signatures, etc.

Is this just a small town thing? How are these people able to get on the ballot without some kind of campaign? I got fed up and abstained from voting on positions where this was the case (but many of these people ran unopposed so it likely wouldn't have mattered anyways).

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Shot_Kale_8330 t1_itnuesr wrote

Small town thing and it keeps unwilling uninformed voters from making a choice.. You will have to go to town meetings and fire station breakfasts to learn in person who these folks are. Most town positions do not have funds to put up a web page or Twitter feed

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bubbastars OP t1_ito29uy wrote

Thanks for your response.

Is it that difficult for a candidate themself to make a Facebook page, though? I suppose they may not have in my case since they are running unopposed, but it seems like an easy way to win those “unwilling, uninformed” votes.

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Guygan t1_itplggc wrote

If they are running unopposed it makes sense to say as little as possible if their only goal is to get elected.

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ecco-domenica t1_itrbixf wrote

If you don't know enough about the candidates to vote for a particular position it's perfectly fine and in fact preferable to just leave that one blank. Watch town meetings and talk to your neighbors and people around town to learn enough to make an informed decision for the next election.

Facebook is not the world. People in small towns tend to already know quite a bit about one another.

Although Scarborough is not all that small--have you googled any of the candidates and issues? Chances are they may have been covered in PPH and the local small newspapers at one time or another.

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bubbastars OP t1_itrg6fd wrote

Thanks - yeah, I'm fine with abstaining this time around and will definitely be prepared next time by doing what you've suggested! Just something I was surprised by after living in South Portland for a while and Boston suburbs before that.

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