Our Vote Matters

Our vote matters because Our LIVES matter, Our Health matters and Our Voice matters!

Did you vote in the last election? Do you plan on voting in the remaining elections this year? In the United States of America, we are governed by a sense of democracy. Whether it is the President, Governor, Mayor, Supervisor, State Representatives, Congressmen or Judges, they have a level of power.

However, the real power lies within us, the voters. Since this is election season, I'm sure you will see politicians at many of the events within your community. They will come out and shake hands, smile and tell you what you want to hear. That is when our responsibility begins.

We must first become aware of the issues that are affecting us. There are many issues that we must become aware of; air and soil quality, high insurance cost, college cost, the two tier criminal justice system, misuse of municipality/governmental funds, crime in our cities and police relationships, book banning, access to health care to name a few. We must then ask what the politicians think about these issues and what actions they have taken to resolve these issues. If they are not currently serving in the position, ask what steps they plan on taking if they are elected or what they have been doing to address these issues in their personal lives.

You may not think that your vote matters, but it does. When you find out that someone is seeking to represent you in an elected position, look up their websites, give them a call or attend one of their informative sessions. You know what issues are important to you, so ask them how they feel about those issues. Check their track records.... It's important that we elect people that represent our values.

Lastly, make sure your voter registration file is updated and then you must vote in every election. Also make sure everyone in your family is registered and that they vote too. Early voting starts on Saturday, July 27th and Election Day is Tuesday, August 6th. Don't miss your opportunity to use your power.

It's all hands on deck.

Gina Wilson Steward

CEo/Publisher