Voter turnout should be much higher

However, for each one of you who cast a vote in the primary election, there will be so many more people who don’t. Believe it or not there will be people who don’t even know an election is taking place Tuesday. I know, I know. How could that be, you ask.
Personally, I haven’t a clue. With candidates placing their signs all over the county and placing ads in this publication and through other venues I can’t imagine someone — anyone — not knowing what is taking place next Tuesday.
Yet, I know there will be people who could tell you next Tuesday was primary election day if you offered them a crisp, new $100 bill. What a shame.
When you think about what the sacrifice our servicemen and servicewomen are making today you have to cringe at that notion. Yet, I know it exists. I know people who couldn’t tell you the first thing about this upcoming election. You know them too. The bad thing is they aren’t living in a cave. They actually have access to television, radio and newspapers. Many probably even have ways to log onto the Internet.
Yet, they remain uniformed on the voting process. Some never even bother to register to vote. I’ve heard all kinds of excuses through the years. Some include:
•I don’t care about voting.
•I don’t want to be called for jury duty.
•I don’t have time to keep up with elections.
•They are all crooks.
•My vote doesn’t matter.
•They don’t care about my concerns.
•They aren’t going to do what they say so why bother.
Excuses, every one of them and quite frankly not very good ones in my book.
A different kind of apathy can be seen by those who actually take the time to register to vote once upon a time but then never bother to visit their respective polling location. Some go so long without voting in an election their names get dropped from the voter lists.

It’s easier than ever to vote these days. You can always vote by absentee ballot. We now have advance voting where you can vote the week before the election takes place. There’s still the old fashion 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. block of time on election day.

So many options, so many opportunities to do our patriotic duty yet so many of us do not. It’s enough to make Thomas Jefferson, George Washington and John Adams all turn over in the their graves.

What have we come to when we won’t even take a few minutes every few months to vote on those who represent us at the local, state and national levels? What does it say about us when most couldn’t tell you who is running even if the keys to a new house were on the line.

I hope one day things will be different. I hope one day when I arrive at my polling place the line will be so long I have to prepare myself for a multi-hour wait. Despite the fact I have an overall lack of patience, this would be one time I would force myself to stand there and enjoy every minute of being in line. Afterall, what is more American than voting in an open election?

Unless a miracle happens and the voter turnout happens to be in the 90 percent range Tuesday I am not going to be happy. (I realize we should strive for 100 percent, but hey I will take 90 to start with.) As you stay away from the polls Tuesday think about those who are fighting to give us the right to vote. Aren’t they worth it?

Chris Bridges is a reporter for The Banks County News. Contact him 706-367-2745 or e-mail comments to chris@mainstreetnews.com.