Voter turnout in the Tuesday Aug. 8 Primary Election in Coahoma County concerns us.
Only 35.9-percent went to the poll and cast a ballot.
We want to look around and try to find a reason why 64,1-percent of the eligible voters in our county didn’t take the 10-minutes necessary to cast their ballot. We have several candidates in runoff elections that wish you had. We have several candidates who lost elections that will always wonder how this community could have been different if you had cast a vote.
In a day and age when so much is changing in our world and our country, we need to make sure the people who represent us reflect our views and our values.
If you did not vote in the primary, what is your excuse?
Maybe you are discouraged by the electoral process. Most of those who voted last week probably are, too – but they made a difference.
Maybe you didn’t have the time. Our local elections officials and poll workers can get you in an out of the voting booth in 15-minutes or less.
Maybe you just didn’t care, and that is the reason that worries this newspaper the most.
A recent poll indicates most Americans just don’t care who their local leaders are. Those same polls show most don’t care who their representatives are in Jackson and Washington either. And we think that is an indication they don’t care about what is actually happening to our community, our state and our country.
As we turn our focus to Tuesday’s Primary Runoff and the November General Election, this newspaper hopes those who really love this community will urge their fellow countrymen to get involved once again in making our community strong.
We also hope those discouraged or encouraged by last week’s outcome will consider running for city office in two short years. Clarksdale needs its best and brightest to step up and have the courage to be a leader.
We hope you will help people register to vote. We hope you will keep a close eye on the election process. We hope you will urge your friends and neighbors to vote. We also hope you will take the time to say a word of encouragement to those good people recently elected to county office.
America is rapidly losing many of its freedoms. And many of those freedoms are being lost because the good people of this town and county don’t get out and vote.
