This is the second in a series of articles about the upcoming election of borough councilors in Columbia.

Tuesday, November 8, 2011

Following the primary election in May of this year, we posted an article about voter apathy.

“We are becoming a nation ruled by the monied interests; voter apathy has contributed to that. Here is an article from Don Konkle, of the Pennsylvania Fire and Emergency Services Institute, that is directed to the state’s fire and emergency responder personnel. Though it should send strong signals to others who did not vote. Every concerned American citizen should read Don’s words.”

“We are very likely to end up with people in office who do not represent the interests of everyone, just those who helped get them elected. [Emphasis added]

Local Elections

“This low turnout is magnified in local elections. Local officials operate rather anonymously without much voter scrutiny. They pass ordinances and make deals without much attention to their actions.

“Is It Really Democracy?

“If only a few are casting ballots, at what point is it no longer a democracy? We are a country where every adult citizen over 18 has the right to vote regardless of religion, race, gender or wealth. If we don’t exercise that right, we are leaving the decision of our government to others. Citizens leaving the decision of who governs and what those officials do for other people to make is a risk for our democracy.

“In a democracy, citizens have more than a right to vote. In order to protect our democracy, we have a duty to inform ourselves about the issues and the candidates and then vote to voice our preferences. By leaving the decision to others we are condemning ourselves to live by their decisions and their rules.

“What Can We Do?

“Each person should read the papers, go online, whatever they can to learn about what the issues are and where the candidates stand on those issues. We should look past the personal attacks and character assassinations. (Who of us could withstand that kind of scrutiny and come out clean, we all have things we would rather not have as public knowledge.) We should make an informed decision and then go to the polls and formalize our decision.

“If we know someone who does not know how to register to vote or where to vote, we should show them how and encourage them to vote. If someone says to you ‘Why bother, it doesn’t matter anyway.’ You can try to change their mind or tell them ‘Do it anyway, just in case it does matter.’ That way you can encourage them to vote without having to argue with them about whether their vote matters or not.”

In a few weeks, registered voters in Columbia will have that rare opportunity to cast ballots for councilors and school board directors. That opportunity, though, is more than that … it is a vote for someone whom you trust will have the best interests of Columbia’s citizens at heart. It is a vote for character, integrity, trustworthiness, ethics and doing the right thing while representing the interests of the citizens … for today and tomorrow.

This series will continue tomorrow.