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The November 2nd mid-term elections are fast-approaching and the League of Women Voters will be hosting a series of debates that will be aired on CTN Channel 19. You can join the live television audience at the CTN Studios and pose questions for the candidates. Here's the schedule for the debates:

Monday, September 27
7-7:30PM-Mayor
8-8:45PM-City Council, Wards 2,5
9-10PM-County Commission, Districts 8,9,11

Tuesday, September 28
8-8:30PM-State Rep. District 53 (empty chair policy in effect)
9-10PM-Library Board

Wednesday, September 29
7-7:30PM-WCC Trustees

Wednesday, October 6
7-7:30PM-State Senate, District 18

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The primary election Tuesday, Aug. 3 will include candidates for mayor, city council, county commissioners and state and federal elected officials. City of Ann Arbor polling locations will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Several polling location changes are in place for the August 3rd primary so be sure to check the list for your polling location. And remember to bring photo I.D. with you to vote.

Looking for a sample ballot? Not sure what your polling location is? Not sure if you're registered to vote? Visit the Michigan Voter Information Center, the State of Michigan online voter information center. The City Clerk is still accepting applications for absentee ballots and will be open on Saturday, July 31, from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. In-person requests for absentee ballots will be accepted at the City Clerk's Office, 2nd floor of City Hall, until 4 p.m. Monday, Aug. 2.

The Lincoln-Douglas Debates of 1858 for the U.S. Senate seat in Illinois are among the most famous in U.S. history. In listening to Norman Corwin’s The Rivalry take a front row seat as challenger Abraham Lincoln and incumbent Senator Stephen A. Douglas debate some of the time’s most controversial topics including slavery and the American concept of freedom. Douglas’ young wife, Adele will be your guide from debate to debate providing a sense of who is gaining the upper hand in this fierce rivalry.

L.A. Theatre Works offers this recording directed by Academy Award-winner Eric Simonson. It stars David Strathairn as Abraham Lincoln and Paul Giamatti as Stephen A. Douglas.

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The City of Ann Arbor Primary Election for Wards 3 and 5 city council seats will be held on Tuesday, August 4. Only Polling Places in those wards will be open for voting from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Call the City Clerk's Office at 734.794.6140 for questions on your Ward and polling locations or visit the My Property Information page to look up your polling location.

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Tune in to CitiTV 19 on Wednesday, July 22, 7:45 p.m., for the Ann Arbor City Council Candidate Forum sponsored by the League of Women Voters of the Ann Arbor Area. Candidates for the 3rd and 5th ward council seats will answer questions from the League. You can submit forum questions online to the League. The primary will be held on Tuesday, August 4th. Please call the City Clerk at 734-794-6140 for more information or to check the status of your voter registration in the City.

Adam Hollier

I asked one of my colleagues yesterday whether she had voted. She said she did not vote in uncontested elections.

There were two incumbents, Glenn Nelson and Irene Patalan, running for the two four-year terms. They were both elected.

And there were two relative newcomers (Adam Hollier ran for school board in 2008 and Ravi Nigam ran for school board in 2002) running for the one two-year term. Adam Hollier had announced in April that he was withdrawing his candidacy. His announcement came well after the February 13th deadline for his name to be removed from the ballot. Two names on the ballot, only one active candidate. Does that make the election uncontested?

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Polls will be open Tuesday, May 5th, 7 a.m. ~ 8 p.m., for the Ann Arbor Public School Board election. The League of Women Voters candidate forum will be rebroadcast tonight on CitiTV, CTN Cable Channel 19 at 7 p.m. Several Washtenaw County school districts have School Board elections as well. Don't forget your photo ID when heading to the polls.

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CitiTV Channel 19 will televise the Ann Arbor Public Schools Candidate Forum live from the new CTN studios on Monday, April 20, at 7 p.m.. Unopposed candidates Glenn Nelson and Irene Patalan and new candidate Ravi Nigam will answer questions posed by the League of Women Voters of the Ann Arbor Area. And where will the questions come from? From YOU. Send your questions to the League at their Contact Page. The School Board election will be held on May 5, 2009.

Browsing through the New York Times the other day, I stumbled upon a piece that I did not even know existed: a blog by Errol Morris, one of the more compelling documentary filmmakers working today.
Early in his career, Morris made the documentary Fast, Cheap, and Out of Control about four people who do strange but interesting work like creating topiaries and studying naked mole rats. Later, he made The Fog of War in which Robert McNamara shared at length on his experience as Secretary of Defense during the Vietnam War. Most recently, he made Standard Operating Procedure which considers the photographs that were created at the Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq.
In all of his work, Morris creates unique and evocative images. He even invented a special camera for interviewing people that create the effect of his subjects speaking directly to the audience. Watching his films is different from watching anyone elses.

inauguration

Since George Washington's inauguration in 1789, the transfer of presidential power has become an American tradition. If the upcoming festivities have you curious about this time-honored ceremony, check out Presidential inaugurations for a light, yet concise, history of each president and their beginnings. (This book is great for fans of presidential trivia) The upcoming inauguration of Barack Obama, the 44th president, will commemorate the 200th anniversary of the birth of Abraham Lincoln with the theme "A New Birth of Freedom". For related historical information check out Lincoln's greatest speech : the second inaugural from the AADL's collection. Visit Barack Obama's official inauguration website if you seek more information about Tuesday's upcoming events. If you find yourself wanting to relive history, Bartleby.com has the full text of ALL Inaugural Addresses of the Presidents of the United States from George Washington to George W. Bush. "And so, my fellow Americans: ask not what your country can do for you—ask what you can do for your country."