Election Day Jitters

I don't know which is scarier: Halloween or Election Day. On the one hand, children
wearing masks come to our doors to extort candy from us. On the other hand, adults
come to the door asking us to put them in charge over us.
Highland County has five men running for sheriff. I feel woefully unprepared and
unqualified to decide who should be in charge of county law enforcement. If I choose
the wrong man for the job, I will most likely suffer the consequences. The sheriff is the
one person most responsible for public safety, after all. A mistake could make me less
safe.
We've had the same sheriff for 20 years. Good or bad, at least we know him. Someone
new, no matter their background, experience, or sincerity, will go through a period of onthe-
job training. It's like giving your car keys to a someone who has never driven your
car before. One is entitled to just a little apprehension as the unknown takes the wheel.
Lacking confidence in my own judgment, I'm not sure I'll vote this year. I'm even less
certain I'll vote next year when the federal election takes place and the stakes are so
much higher. If we mess up and pick the wrong candidate in a local election, we can
move to another county or state. But where do we go when we mess up at the national
level?
If I do vote this year, my choice for sheriff will be decided when I am clear about the
answer to this question: Who do I want to appear on my doorstep in the middle of the
night, if I were in trouble with the law?