Election 1997

East Enders have a deserved reputation for being independent voters. For the strict partisans among us, of course, the choices in the election this year are as easy as always. For the rest, however, Tuesday's balloting is fraught with difficult decisions.

Almost all the candidates have positive as well as negative attributes. While the perception of character is a significant consideration, judgments about how to vote may depend more than usual on which issues the voter considers primary.

In East Hampton, for example, strong opinions about the persistent Town Airport controversy may be the only issue that certain voters will consider in pulling a lever for Town Supervisor. Others may be guided by the costs of garbage disposal. This isn't the best way to figure out who should be elected. In Southampton Town, among the overriding issues are a proposed community pool, the future of the Bridgehampton Race Circuit, and whether the town should adopt a ward system of voting. Feelings run hot.