There were ups and downs, tears and smiles, victory and disappointment. But it wasn't the latest installment of "Days of Our Lives" - it was Election Day.
Voters in Lansing and East Lansing took to the polls Tuesday to cast ballots for mayors, council members and issues such as the elimination of the primaries.
Regardless of the wins and losses, the most disappointing result of Election Day was the lack of interest and participation from voters.
Only 9.7 percent of registered voters in East Lansing took the time to cast ballots.
If you're registered to vote, then vote. It isn't difficult, it doesn't take long to do and you'll actually have room to complain when you don't agree with the decisions of the local government. It's a shame that the public is so apathetic, especially when every last vote counts.
This proved itself true in Lansing when incumbent Tony Benavides was elected mayor over state Sen. Virg Bernero by a margin of 258 votes.
The race was incredibly close, with Benavides gaining 49.06 percent of the vote and Bernero finishing with 47.99 percent.
But despite the close calls, the final outcome is the best one for Lansing. Bernero can return to actually fulfilling his responsibilities in the state Senate, while Benavides can continue adding quality time to the 20-plus years he has spent working with local government.
The city will benefit from having so much experience continuing to head city hall.
In East Lansing, Mayor Mark Meadows, Mayor Pro Tem Sam Singh and Councilmember Beverly Baten all were re-elected to the city council. We hope they will continue to provide quality leadership for East Lansing, while continuing to make city and student relationships a priority.
Speaking of students, kudos must be given to write-in candidates Joey Marcus and Jared Rapp. Marcus and Rapp, both MSU students, said they ran to represent their peers.
The two walked away with more than 350 votes each, which is a big feat for not even having their names on the ballot. Hopefully, their efforts will encourage other students to become involved with politics and their local government.
Another good result of Tuesday's voting was the elimination of East Lansing's primary elections. After two years of debate, the issue was unanimously voted by the city council to appear on the ballot, and the public made its demise official by a vote of 1,685-637.
The elimination of primaries will save the city more than $20,000 every year and automatically put candidates on the November ballots if they fill out a nominating petition 90 days prior.
This will make it easier for candidates such as Marcus and Rapp to make it onto ballots, making future student representation in local government more of a possibility.
The results of Tuesday's elections are final, but registered voters still have the opportunity to change their own attitudes. Local government has a more intimate effect on the public than the national government does. Voters should exercise their rights as Americans and be active in their community - or else they should quit complaining.
