Social Media -- the New Vote

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Created on Thursday, 04 December 2014 15:20

Written by Cassandra Bernier

LYNDONVILLE - One State Senator has gone to social media to help him decide who to vote for, for Governor in January.

One hundred eighty lawmakers will soon have to cast their votes for who they want to be Vermont’s next governor.

Vermont State Senator Joe Benning, of Caledonia-Orange County, wrote a Facebook post asking Vermonters to weigh in on his vote for Governor.

His post read “Dear Vermont Facebook friends: In January your legislature will be asked to vote by secret ballot for governor. The way I see it, each legislator has three choices: 1) we can vote our conscience; 2) we can vote according to tradition); or 3) vote the way our respective constitutes voted (in my case, my senatorial district voted for Scott Milne.) As Senate Minority Leader, I will not use my position to arm-twist my caucus. But I’d like to hear your recommendations for my own consideration."

Joe Benning’s Facebook post raised discussion among many people. The post has 109 comments on it, some included Benning’s answers and comments to fellow Vermonters.

In Caledonia County 56% of Vermonters voted for Scott Milne, while only 35% voted for Governor Peter Shumlin.

Many people said that they wanted Benning to vote for Scott Milne because it was time for a change.

One comment said, “You are our voice, Joe! We voted you in and we know that you will do right by us – so be it conscience or senatorial district – I have faith that you will see Milne to victory.”

Some do not agree that Milne should be governor for the state of Vermont.

“You are not presenting the three choices honestly. The reason for voting for the candidate who got the most votes is not simply tradition, it is that the person who got the most votes is the person preferred by more voters than any other candidate, so it comes closest to expressing the will of the electorate. Milne keeps saying the majority of voters did not want Shumlin as governor, but by the same reasoning an even larger majority of voters did not want Milne to be governor,” one commenter said.

After much consideration Joe Benning decided that he is going to vote for Scott Milne. He made the decision focusing on the financial stability and proper management of the state.