Get to know candidates before casting vote

Election Day for our local primary election will be April 6. Voting for this election will again have a mail-in ballot sent to every registered voter in Boulder City. Early voting in person will also be available. The early voting this year will be in the city recreation center next to City Hall for easier access.

The time for early voting has also been extended as I requested to allow residents more time to make their vote count. Mail-in ballots may be deposited with the Clark County Election Department at the recreation center during early voting. Early voting will begin on Thursday, March 25, and end on Friday, April 2.

On Election Day, voters may vote at either the recreation center or King Elementary School on Adams Boulevard. Please check the city website, www.bcnv.org, for specific times and additional information.

There are 13 candidates for the two City Council seats available in this primary election. The top four candidates garnering the most votes will advance to the general election in June. If a candidate does win more than 50 percent of the vote in the primary election, the candidate would have a position on council and that position would not appear for the June election.

There is a large number of people to choose from as your representatives in city government. When I ran for council in 2017 there were eight candidates for two positions.

The challenge for voters and candidates is always about communicating questions and answers. With the COVID-19 pandemic, those challenges are even greater this year.

Of course, the noise that gets generated by some folks in town make the decisions even harder by blowing smoke into our eyes. In this time of a pandemic it will be hard for citizens to communicate with the candidates and decide which ones will best represent them. I encourage everyone to ask the candidates for their views and their knowledge of the city.

All of the candidates are listed on the city website with a phone number on the filing documents. Give each a call and ask the questions you believe are important.

When candidates talk about preserving Boulder City, ask them to explain how they would do that. Many candidates state they support businesses. Again, I encourage voters to ask what a candidate would do to support businesses and what is the role of government in businesses. Ask each candidate how they have been involved in the community recently. These are important issues and I hope each voter will ask the questions that are important to them.

I believe it is important to point out that elections in Boulder City are conducted by the Clark County Election Department. No one in city government could possibly control how votes are tallied.

In closing this month I want to encourage people that want to be vaccinated against the COVID-19 virus to check the city website for information on where the shots can be obtained. Our fire department and local hospital are working very hard to provide the vaccine to the community as quickly as the supply allows.

The vaccine is now available to people age 65 and older. As more of the vaccine becomes available those with health conditions will soon be eligible to receive these important vaccines. We have seen the number of people being infected decrease significantly the past few weeks. I believe these are all signs of brighter days ahead.

The need to continue wearing masks and maintaining social distancing will, unfortunately, continue to be with us for some months to come. The situation is improving each day but we still need to be cautious. Children are returning to school so keep an eye out for them when driving. Be safe Boulder City.

The opinions expressed above belong solely to the author and do not represent the views of the Boulder City Review. They have been edited solely for grammar, spelling and style, and have not been checked for accuracy of the viewpoints.

Kiernan McManus is mayor of Boulder City. He is a native of Boulder City first elected to City Council in 2017.

Editor’s note: According to the city’s charter, in order for a City Council candidate to win a seat in the primary election, they must receive votes equal to a majority of voters casting ballots in that election.