Voting is a sacred and fundamental right, so why don’t more people treat it like one?
Next Tuesday, May 19, is the general primary election day in Pierce County as well as across the state.
One of our most sacred and fundamental rights as Americans is the privilege to choose those who will lead us and make decisions for us.
This right and privilege has been earned by the struggle to “form a more perfect union” and has been paid for by the blood and sacrifice of those who have served to give us those things.
That’s why it is particularly troubling that voter turnout so far is so poor. Pitiful. Paltry.
With a week to go for early voting and election day May 19, only 884 residents have bothered to show up. To those 884, we say thank you and we applaud you.
To the over 12,000 of you who haven’t, get up off your seat and go vote.
It’s simple. It’s easy. And, it is fundamental to our country.
Participation should be as close to 100 percent as possible. We are always puzzled why it’s not.
We get it. Politics can be a dirty business. Personally, we would like to see candidates be more specific about issues and offer a vision for where they want to lead us in the future and spend less time mud slinging and tearing each other down.
Still, we can have influence on making that better, simply by expressing our choices and using our right to vote.
Some may feel that one vote doesn’t make a difference, but history tells a different story. Countless elections—from local school boards to national offices—have been decided by just a handful of ballots. Your single vote could be the one that tips the scale toward lower taxes, better roads, safer neighborhoods or fairer policies.
Choosing not to vote is, in effect, letting others decide your future for you. But when you cast your ballot, you claim your stake in the decisions that affect you, your family, your livelihood, your bank account and your neighborhood.
Let’s not sit on the sidelines. Let’s show up. Don’t delay. Do it now. Your voice matters.
See you at the polls.
