Every Vote Did Matter

To the Editor:

The people who chose not to vote in Tuesday’s election should be ashamed of themselves. We live in a country where you actually have the opportunity to vote, and less than a quarter of this town took advantage of a freedom people around the world are still dying to achieve. Certainly these are people who will be quick to complain about taxes, education, open space, and other various issues. The Legislative Council, selectmen and town as a whole should not need to listen to these complaints from people who did nothing about them on Tuesday. If they can find the time to complain, they should have found the time to vote.

The excuse that Herb Rosenthal was running unopposed is ridiculous. There were still other contested races, and these races were decided by single digits. Five votes here, two votes there and the Legislative Council is a very different group of people. But apparently only 25 percent of the people in this town care about that. This was an election where each person’s vote really did matter, perhaps more than normal because it was so close. Yet, very few people chose to vote.

If we lived in Australia, the town would have made a ton of money on Tuesday. They fine people for not voting.

No one can make you vote. They can encourage you with post cards and phone calls. They can remind you that it’s Election Day. But you need to decide for yourself to actually take the five minutes to go to your voting place and pull down the levers. Hopefully in the next election more people will decide to care about the town they live in and the direction it’s heading.

Sincerely,

Sarah Hemingway

10 Overlook Knoll, Sandy Hook                               November 9, 2005