Please vote

   Loftis

Oct. 7 is the final day to register to vote in the Nov. 5 general election. If you’re not a register voter, I urge you to register as soon as possible. If you are a registered voter, I urge you to go to the polls and exercise your right to participate in your government.

The right to vote is something many of us seem to take lightly in the United States, but it’s not something that came without great cost.

From the first patriots who took up arms against the British empire nearly 250 years ago to the American troops serving around the world today, our democracy is something that countless Americans have died to protect. And the single most important cornerstone of that democracy is our right to vote.

Some of you may be disenchanted with our system and feel as if your vote doesn’t count or won’t make a difference. That’s just not true. Every vote counts, especially in local races that may actually have more real-life impact here in Carroll County than national or even state races.

Some of you may think voting is too much of a hassle. Again, that couldn’t be further from the truth. Registration is simple, and the act of voting is not time-consuming — especially if you take advantage of early voting. I nearly always cast my ballot early, and the entire process typically takes about five minutes. I love the convenience of early voting, but even voting on election day is fairly quick and simple. I voted at St. Elizabeth Parish Center in Eureka Springs in November 2018, simply because I hadn’t taken the time to early vote and my conscience wouldn’t let me not vote. Even on election day, I was in and out in 20 minutes.

All of us have our own priorities and make our own decisions about how to spend our time. I believe it’s critically important that we spend just a little of that time paying attention to what’s going on in our community and our world, and participating in our democracy.

Our founders had a vision and a wisdom far ahead of their time, but the system they created only works if we do our part.

I would argue that voting isn’t just our right as Americans. I believe it’s a duty that we all should be diligent in completing.

Please vote. Our country depends on it.

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Scott Loftis is editor and publisher of the Carroll County News. His email address is SLoftis@CarrollCoNews.com.