Letter To Editor: City Of Alton Needs Voters To Turn Out For Spring Election

Letter To The Editor:

The City of Alton needs you to vote. Your neighbors need you to vote. Your friends need you to vote. Your personal interest needs, need you to vote.

There are many important things we can and should do as members of a society. Depending upon one’s perspective, the range of importance could include: helping and protecting others, mentoring others, volunteering, respecting laws, and faith. The list can go on and on. But as members of this society, voting is in a category of importance that seems to be all too often neglected.

Election day in the City of Alton is rapidly approaching. Once again, the future direction which Alton will follow will be determined by who is elected to influence and to guide the City towards its future.

“Every election is determined by the people who show up”, L.J. Sabato.

“Bad officials are elected by good citizens who don’t vote”, George Nathan.

The aforementioned quotes highlight the concerns I have about the forthcoming election. If history is a predictor of the future, then once again we should not be surprised when only a small fraction of our voting public finds the time to go to the polls and to exercise their right to vote.

In the last City-wide election, the City of Alton had over 20 thousand eligible voters and only about 3600 voted in the election. I think that the phrase, “that is ridiculous!” is appropriately uttered after a review of those statistics.

Voting is an essential component of our democracy. Voting is an expression of the commitment that you have for the society in which you live.

“If you don’t vote, you lose the right to complain,” George Carlin.

My hope is that this “Letter to the Editor’ will serve as a reminder and as a catalyst towards increasing the voter turnout. If you have taken the time to read this letter, then please, please take the time to go to the polls and vote. In addition, take the time to ask your friends, your neighbors, and your relatives to go to the polls and to vote.

At minimum, please try to get at least one more eligible voter who may not have voted in the last election to vote. I am reminded that the “Poll” that matters is the one that happens on election day. Please, please vote.

As I have often heard it said, “Democracy is not a spectator sport.”

Thank you,

Larry Lolley

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