An Off Day Not A Day Off

Things seemed to be a little off this morning. After getting a late start to the day due to an early morning meeting and before heading off to work, I meandered over to our local polling location to submit my annual votes. It is an off year so by the time I got there I was only number 42 for the day. What caught me off guard a bit, besides the parking situation at the church, was the fact that this was the first time that I had to fill out a paper ballot in my life. Sitting in the partitioned booth, it felt like I was taking the SATs again.

That experience has pretty much summed up this whole election cycle so far this year. Things are getting done and the positions are being stated but the format seems a little different and we are having to work a little bit more to find what we are looking for. After scanning the entire paper, front and back, there wasn’t anything or anyone that would change my mind which left me only having to fill in one circle in order to complete my ballot.

Honestly, at this point, I don’t expect things to be much different next year. While I keep looking at the various positions on both primaries, it is pretty clear where my vote will be cast. Well, to a certain extent anyway. As was clear in the debates last week, it is still a crowded field with more viable candidates than I can recall ever taking the stage at one time. There are a few that I would like to see continue, others I would prefer drop out, and a couple that have really piqued my interest. At least that is my perspective on the Republican side… there really isn’t anyone that I could even come close to even feigning support for on the other ticket.

While this may be an off year, the next election is one that will make a huge difference in this country… hopefully for the better. Now that this day is coming to an end, we should really see the campaigns taken to another level over the next couple of months. And as the field thins, we should get a much better sense of who is the right person for the job, who can lead this country, and who truly has our best interests in mind. So buckle up and get ready for the ride.

One Percent

The polls have long since closed and while some may be happy with the verdicts and others not so much it is all part of the process that too few participate in. If you don’t believe me answer a couple of questions for me. Did you vote? If so, how many people did you see at the polling place?

That’s right, whether you voted or not you know that turnout stinks during off year elections especially when the campaigns that are drawing to a close are for positions that you wouldn’t otherwise think of. Just think about how much you know about this year’s election cycle, how much you know about the candidates, and how much you know about the positions they are running for. It is for this reason that you get more party voters than voters who consider the candidates themselves.

I admit that for many years I didn’t pay too much attention to the off year election cycles but that has slowly changed as many topics have come to the forefront of politics. I am not going to get into the details of those topics or discuss my position on many of them but they drive me to continue voting every year as they should for everyone who has the right to do so. Simply put, if you either like how things are going or want to see change you should be out there taking five minutes out of your day at least once a year to cast your vote and take a stand.

Come to think of it, the lack of turnout may bother me more than the results themselves. People like to complain and debate about the views held by politicians or political parties but they don’t bother to voice their opinion. People like to scream about the “one percent” having all the money and power in this country but they don’t bother being a part of the one percent that votes on an annual or biannual basis.

While I don’t have the money, I don’t have the influence, I am proud to be a member of the one percent. Just like party affiliation, it doesn’t guarantee that everything goes the way that I want or that I agree with everything that moniker stands for but it ensures that my voice is heard no matter how faint the whisper. Like many rights I ardently defend, this is not something for the elite few, it is something that belongs to everyone and I defend that right for all who respect it.

Enjoy the rights you have and the freedom that comes with them. Don’t allow others to taint those rights and stomp on the freedom that it ensures (even if you don’t personally partake of some of those rights and freedoms). Above all, make your voice heard.