Tsk Tsk

It appears a large swath of political candidates have opted out of their right to vote over the past few years, including both leading candidates for Metro School District 9:

"I believe I voted in all of them," said Alan Coverstone, one of the District 9 school board contenders who apparently didn't vote in 2004, when Marsha Warden ran
for the seat unopposed, or in 2000, when Chris Norris won it handily over two opponents.

"That is news to me if I haven't voted in those elections, because I'm a committed and aggressive voter," Coverstone said.

Lee Limbird, another District 9 candidate, has voted only twice in August elections since registering to vote in September 1980, according to her voting history. Metro voters go to the polls in August in three years of every four-year cycle to cast ballots for mayor, council and school board seats, and state and congressional primaries.

Limbird voted in August 1987 and again last year.

The first time I voted was in 2000 for Al Gore up in Ohio. When I moved to Nashville, I don't think I voted until February of 2004 in the Presidential primary. Since then, I think I've voted in every election, be it a meaningless primary or the sales tax referendum (I was one of the 5 to vote in favor of a sales tax increase).

I can understand missing a few votes here and there, but to not have voted in an August primary since 1987? Damn...I don't really even see it as an option to vote or not; if there is an election a happening, I'm going to be there, competitive or not.