The empty ballot

Thanks to the developing saga that is the race for the Democratic Party's presidential nomination, Oregon's May 20 primary, once thought to be too late to matter, suddenly seems significant.

Both Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama probably will visit Oregon during this most compelling national campaign in at least 20 years.

Baker County's ballot, by contrast, looks quite boring so far.

Voter apathy always threatens to render elections irrelevant, and a ballot full of uncontested races hardly grabs voters' attention.

As of today, just five days before the filing deadline, there is only one candidate for three local positions. Tim L. Kerns, a Republican, is running for a four-year term on the Baker County Board of Commissioners. Mitch Southwick is seeking a four-year term as County Sheriff. Both are incumbents.

Kerry Savage is the only candidate for Baker County Assessor.

We can't believe no one else is interested in, and qualified for, any of those jobs.

Nor is it plausible that there isn't a person in Baker County who has ever disagreed with a decision that either Southwick or Kerns has made.

Voter turnout is crucial in the May 20 primary because the ballot will include at least three tax levies that can't pass unless at least half of the eligible voters return their ballots.