Remembering Buffalo's Forgotten Election

The nation is right in the middle of an extremely important and seemingly bitter election this year, with two major candidates fighting it out to determine who will become the next President of the United States. In addition, all sorts of state and local elections are due to be decided this year, and that's not to mention the dust-up happening in Western New York surrounding the possibility of Buffalo getting a new mayor for the first time in 2 decades.

With so many important things at stake, people must be involved in politics. Another election is scheduled to happen this year, and it doesn't seem to be getting the attention it should. It hasn't gotten much attention historically, which continues to be a major problem for Buffalo.

This year, three seats on the Buffalo Board of Education are up for election, and given historical trends, people are going to largely ignore it. However, election after election, the larger Buffalo community finds a way to ignore these elections, which is mind-boggling when you consider the impact our schools have on our community and on our future.

We've discussed low voter turnout quite a bit over the years, here, here, and even here. Typically, only 5-10 percent of Buffalonians vote in the school board elections, and we're still trying to figure out why that is, considering all the things people have to say about Buffalo's school system.

This year, three at-large seats on the Buffalo Board are due to be elected. Dr. Ann Rivera, Terrance Heard, and Lawrence Scott currently hold those seats. Of the three incumbents, both Mr. Heard and Mr. Scott are running for reelection. Dr. Rivera has stated she does not plan to seek office again.

Including the two incumbents, six people are now running for these three seats: (the incumbents) Lawrence Scott & Terrance Heard, plus four others: Adrianna Zullich, Edward Speidel, Janita Everhart, and Raziya Hill.

Hopefully, the fact that this is a presidential election year will drive up turnout. Do you intend to vote on Tuesday, November 5, 2024?

https://www.buffaloschools.org/o/bps/page/board-of-education

Bills Star Demar Hamlin Hosts Back-To-School Drive

Star Safety Damar Hamlin and his charity, the Chasing M's Foundation, hosted a back-to-school drive, football clinic, and CPR education event at the history Johnnie B. Wiley Stadium in Buffalo, NY.

Gallery Credit: Ed Nice