Too much information? Or too much disinformation? With less than two weeks until Election Day on November 5, voters are bombarded at every turn, not by military armament (not yet, at least), but by political ads for and against candidates on the ballot this year. Compounding the confusion in this region’s major media market is that political ads for candidates in Virginia, West Virginia, and Maryland cast a wide net. Most voters will not see all those names on their ballots so it is crucial that voters educate themselves before heading for the voting booth.

After months of campaign rhetoric, it is surprising that many voters still are undecided. Selection of a president and vice president may be an important decision, but a president is not omnipotent. We are not electing a monarch, but leaders who can work with other leaders, of both parties, to make common sense decisions for our very diverse nation. So, the question comes down to basics — vote for an experienced leader who respects the Constitution and the rule of law, someone who works to resolve tough issues fairly, and someone who puts together smart, complete thoughts that make sense. Or vote for a twice-impeached felon whose mental meanderings are more confusing, who still denies the results of the 2020 election (which he lost), uses foul language to describe both his opponents and his friends, and threatens to dismantle the Constitution and democracy. It seems an easy choice.

Governance is serious business; it is not entertainment or performance art, although many elected officials, or wannabe elected officials, appear to be seeking headlines or the most clicks on social media rather than attending to the nation’s business by doing the job they were elected to do. With every seat in the House of Representatives and about a third of the Senate up for election, voters need to make smart decisions “down ballot,” and demand that Members of Congress do their jobs in the next congressional session. Adopting Continuing Resolutions for budgets, or threatening to shut down the federal government, simply kicks the can down the road for another few months. That doesn’t work well for household or business budgets, and it shouldn’t work for the nation’s budget, either. Just ask the Small Business Commission, which has run out of funds needed to help people in Virginia, North Carolina and other southern states following the recent devastating hurricanes. Congressional inaction affects real people in need.

Polls are open on Election Day from 6:00 a.m. until 7:00 p.m. Polls close promptly at 7:00 p.m., but voters already in line will be allowed to vote. In-person voting at numerous satellite locations in Fairfax County continues through November 2, from 1:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. Satellite polling locations also will host voting on Sunday, October 27, from 1:00 p.m. until 5:00 p.m. at Fairfax County satellite locations. Falls Church City voters also will elect a new City Council member in a special election, and both jurisdictions have additional referendum questions on the ballot.

When I was a little girl, I remember listening to the Dodgers and Yankees in the World Series on the radio with my Dad. That’s when the Dodgers still were in Brooklyn. The Series will be a welcome respite from the campaign. Baseball ranks up there with motherhood and apple pie — American traditions all!