Fewer than 30 percent of registered voters in New York City cast their ballot on Election Day last year. And those that didn’t probably thought they had a good reason.
Maybe it was inconvenient to get out to the polls, or they didn’t know enough about the candidates, or they thought there was too much mud slung during the campaign, or maybe they felt their vote really didn’t matter.
Those all seem to be perfectly reasonable excuses.
But this country was founded with the belief that an informed electorate would keep tabs on those chosen to decide how the country, state, and city are run. When those rules were written, it was with the audacious hope that voters truly cared who represented them. That they would care how tax dollars would be spent. That they would care how we dealt with our neighbors. That they would care if they and others get fair treatment before the law.
The basic civic responsibility embodied by the vote is the bedrock on which this country is built.
It is by no means a perfect system, and it is surely not more perfect. But most reasonable people believe majority rule to be the fairest around. Still, 30 percent is far from the majority.
In this week’s issue, we’ve put together a guide to the elections our readers can vote in next Tuesday. We urge you to give it a read.
And we hope that you’ll do whatever you can in these waning days before the election to learn about your incumbents and challengers, what they’ve done and what they stand for, and become an informed elector.
Then get past the inconvenience, see through the name calling, and go out make sure your vote is counted.
Thirty percent is not enough.
Make the majority rule.s
