Mail-in ballots in the Rancho Mirage City Council election are already being cast, but some voters are feeling shortchanged.

As of Tuesday, 9,907 Vote-by-mail ballots have been issues and 2,126 have been returned, according to the Riverside County Registrar of Voters.

As some voters review the Voter Information Guide to learn more about the candidates, they have noticed a peculiarity among the three incumbents. All have omitted some information, leading some voters to wonder why.

Sometimes what a candidate refuses to say drowns out what he or she actually says aloud. In the Voter Information Guide for the April 10 Rancho Mirage City Election, none of the incumbents lists his or her age? Why would they omit their age? Should it be a factor in a candidate’s abilities to do his or her job?

None of the challengers skipped the question..

In an email to Uken Report in February, Iris Smotrich, one of three incumbents seeking re-election, said, “I love telling people my age …. I am 74 and very proud of it.”

Charles Townsend Vinci, also seeking re-election to the five-member panel, also told Uken Report there is no sense hiding it because it is readily available in public records. He readily volunteered that is 76.

G. Dana Hobart has always refused to disclose his age. Public records show he is 85.

For the record, Michael Harrington is 59, Robert “Bob” Mueller is 70, and Katherine “Kate” Spates is 50.

Have you voted? More importantly, have you registered? If not, there is still time.

The last day to register to vote or transfer registration for the April 10, 2018 election is March 26, 2018.

If you would like your voice heard in the upcoming election, you may register online here right now. To register online you will need:

Your California driver license or California identification card number,
The last four digits of your social security number and
Your date of birth.
To register to vote or check voter registration status, please visit the Riverside County Registrar of Voters website at www.voteinfo.net or call (800) 773-8683.