Your vote is your voice

This primary season has been quite the experience. On one hand, it’s positive to see so many North Dakotans interested in running for political office. We’re seeing primary challenges in both state and local government races, which means voters have choices in who they want to represent them over the next few years.

On the other hand, more candidates means more political advertising. Citizens have started write-in campaigns, and announced their candidacy in newspapers, radio, TV and all over social media. Our mailboxes have been inundated with political messages, and we’ve even had candidates knock on our front door (on a Saturday morning, no less!).

Last Tuesday was school board election day, and there were contested races in both the Carrington and New Rockford-Sheyenne school districts.

This Tuesday we have the opportunity to go to the polls again, this time to elect city commissioners and council persons, as well as decide which state and county commission candidates will advance to the general election in November.

As the Sawyer Brown song goes, “Now the race is on, and here comes pride in the backstretch, heartache’s goin’ to the inside.”

Yes, there will be an enormous amount of pride expressed by those who make the primary cut, and an equal amount of heartache from the ones whose shot at election ends Tuesday.

The thing I’m most concerned about this election day is voter turnout. Over the past several weeks, as your local newspaper has covered the various candidates and measures appearing on the primary ballot, I have heard many people say that they just aren’t going to vote.

“What difference does it make?” some say.

“I don’t know the people on the ballot, and I have no idea who to vote for,” others express.

Readers, your vote does matter. As Plato famously said, “If you do not vote, you will be governed by idiots.”

Voting gives you the opportunity to work with those leaders who you believe have your best interest at heart, and the license to complain about those you didn’t support.

I’m not necessarily talking about the presidential primary either. Yes, there is a lot of focus on the presidency, and rightfully so.

Yet, there is so much more opportunity to elect people to other positions, to put people in places that really matter right here at home.

Therefore, I ask that you focus your attention on local and statewide races. This is where our vote really makes a difference. Transcript readers may recall that only eight votes separated the elected mayor from the “other candidate” in the 2016 election in New Rockford. I can count at least 10 people who told me they aren’t voting on June 11. Imagine the difference those 10 votes could make!

Who serves locally matters more than you may know. After the votes are counted, the decisions made in city, county and school board meetings have a direct impact on our quality of life right here in Foster and Eddy County.

Personally, I am grateful that I have the freedom to vote and have my voice heard.

Therefore, my challenge to you is this: Head to the polls on June 11. Even if you only know one person on the ballot well enough to fill in the oval or check the box by his or her name, do it. Then follow up with that person and engage in conversation about issues that are important to you.

There are also ballot measures at the local and state level, i.e. proposals to raise the mill levy for road repairs in both Eddy and Foster counties, as well as a statewide initiated measure to set age limits for congressional candidates. If you have an opinion on these topics, now is the time to make your voice heard!

Wear that “I Voted” sticker like a badge of honor. I know I will.

After all, “freedom is nothing but a chance to be better,” according to Albert Camus, and I couldn’t agree more.

This is our chance to be better. Every time the polls open, we get to choose the people we believe will make our cities, counties and school districts better.

That’s an incredible opportunity and a major responsibility all at the same time.