Get out and VOTE!

9 states and the District of Columbia are holding primaries today.  Are you going to vote? 

It is really easy to take the primaries for granted.  In many instances your only choices are for those people who are running unopposed.  Of course, these are the ones that I like to vote for (or not vote for) the most.

If I think someone is a good candidate for the position I vote for them, unoppossed or not.  It is my way of sending a message that I support them and come November they can count on my vote against their opponent who will likely be from another political party.

But if I do not think someone is the right person for the office they are seeking, I either do not vote for them or better yet, I write in a name.  Often the name of the person they are most likely to run against in the November election.

I feel this sends a message.  They see that they did not receive as many votes as others running unopposed for other offices and have to try and figure out why.  If you don’t just vote at all in the primary, they will appear to have the full support of everyone who did vote.

I could go on and on about how your right to vote is something that people have died for to protect and you should not take it for granted.  Or how disgraceful it is that only than 54% of American citizens who were eligible to vote have done so in recent presidential elections and that more people voted for the  American Idol winner than in the 2004 US presidential election (which, btw,  is complete nonsense to use as a comparison). But we all know these messages. 

The point is use the voting booth as your place to make a statement.  Whether it is for the President or just the primary to select the next Register of Wills.  Get out and VOTE!