My ballot for the upcoming primary election arrived the other day.

As awful as things are going on the national level, I retain a certain amount of optimism that the elections will remain largely free.

Oh, yes, I tend to be an optimist, despite what Mrs. Papson called me back in high school.

I’m an optimist but I do have a cynical streak. I think that’s what Mrs. Papson was reacting to.

Elections are still in the control of the states and they are widely distributed across precincts and districts with thousands and thousands of people in charge. So I remain reasonably optimistic that for the most part, despite the Republicans trying to throw roadblocks to prevent the “wrong” people from voting, our elections will remain fair and open. And of course, there’s nothing like trying to keep people from voting to give them that much more incentive to fight back, so again I’m optimistic that Republican efforts at voter suppression will backfire.

And in Pennsylvania we have a Democratic governor, so there’s that.

Still, I am losing some confidence in the Post Office these days, so I might just deliver my ballot by hand instead of mailing it in this time.

Meanwhile, our primary election in Philadelphia is primarily a local election with the big ticket item being the District Attorney. Larry Krasner, who has done a terrific job of turning around the justice system in the city after years of an Iron Age punishment system by Lynne Abraham and her ilk, is being challenged by a retired judge who wants to turn back the clock. 

I can only hope the Philly primary voters are smart enough not to let him; I think they are.