GET OUT AND VOTE

The following article appeared as an Op-Ed by Susan Sheridan in the Daily News Record on August 21. We present it here as an important reminder that YOUR vote counts! Be sure to vote on November 6!

GET OUT AND VOTE

Several of my friends have decided not to vote in November. They claim their votes won’t make a difference because another party dominates their districts. They say that all candidates are incompetent. They are sure that both parties are equally corrupt.

I wish my friends would take a moment to consider what happens when we don’t vote. Without casting a ballot, we leave the decision of who represents us to others. These “others” may well be political action committees, lobbyists, or one-issue organizations that give no thought to the complex, and perhaps competing, needs of people in our districts By not casting a ballot, we also give ourselves permission to ignore campaigns, and thus are unable to judge the strengths and weaknesses of candidates, and the truth of their words. Then we complain about those who are elected, and smugly declare, “Well, I didn’t vote for him/her!”

Voting is one of our major responsibilities as citizens of the United States. Our Founding Fathers hammered out a constitution that would allow our voices to be heard in the running of our country, and subsequent leaders worked to give voice to more and more of us. Yet large portions of voters do not show up at the polls. For the 2016 presidential elections, 72% of registered voters in Virginia exercised their voting rights; in the 2017 state elections, only 48% of registered voters cast ballots.

Voting should not be undertaken without thought. Participating in our democracy requires more than a few minutes at a polling place. There are good and bad candidates in all parties, so we must learn about all of them and judge their qualifications for ourselves. Voting a straight-party ticket or opting for a third-party candidate as a type of protest is not always the best choice. We need to interact with candidates so we know them and they know us. After the election, we must follow up on what they do in office and let them know when we approve or disapprove.

Do not be fooled. One person can make a difference. When we share our thoughts (civilly, of course) and listen to the opinions of others, dialog grows, more citizens engage in the political process, officeholders stay in touch with their constituents, and our voices are heard in Washington. Without our participation, all this is lost. For much of the last ten years, Bob Goodlatte knew he could rely solely on party regulars and large donors for re-election. He felt no need to attend Town Hall meetings and discuss issues with the people of his district. Our lack of involvement allowed him to ignore our concerns.

If we want our elected officials to truly represent us, we must participate in their campaigns and follow up on their actions. This takes time, of course, but citizenship requires effort. And if we fail to exercise our rights, we are in danger of losing those rights.

--Susan Sheridan