The tranquil cold grayness of November has settled in. The big chill has backed off. A feeling of ennui pervades. Is this the calm before the storm?
The white grayness of the sky is mirrored on the waters of Puget Sound, and protruding out of the stillness are faint charcoal gray forms that we usually call islands or mountains. Even the fiery fall colors are muted in the perfectly still air.
There was a slight flurry of action last week with the election, but the voting records indicate that only 25 percent of registered voters went to the polls or used their absentee ballots. Doing the math, this means that somewhere between 10 and 13 percent of our citizens are participating in our democratic form of government. Yet certainly more than that have a lot to say about it. So, why the disconnect?
Quite often I hear people saying, "Well, I haven't really studied the issues or the candidates." Fine, we can't all be up-to-date on all the issues. Ask your friends what they know or would recommend. Take 10 minutes and speed-read the Voter's Pamphlet. Jot down some notes and get yourself to the polling stations. I think it would surprise you to see how many people do come in clutching their notes.
And you do not need to have your Voter's Registration card. Each polling station has a Master List that can direct you to your precinct.
Saying "My vote doesn't count" is playing right into the politicians' game. They know that you do not vote, so they run their campaigns, their sound-bites, their visuals, without worrying one bit if they are appealing to your interests. They know you remain dis-interested. Don't you think it is time to give them a big surprise? Get your non-voting friends and yourself to the polls and watch the politicians look on with dis-belief.
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