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PERSPECTIVE
- October 2006 by Pat Freibert Voter Responsibility In a few days, voters in Kentucky will go to the polls to cast their ballots for candidates for Congress, the legislature and an array of local and county offices. After vigorous contests, winners and losers are declared and representative government marches on. While strong voter turnout can effectively determine the will of the people, the axiom that everyone should vote is absolutely wrong. Only those voters who are informed and interested in the civic and political affairs of their community, state and country have the capacity to help assure good and representative government. Those who are ignorant of the issues and candidates should not be encouraged to vote since they bring nothing to the process except confusion. In recent years, civic education, current events and our country’s history have, regrettably, been de-emphasized in school curricula. Many younger citizens seem to have scant understanding or interest in political affairs and events, as compared with earlier generations. Such lack of knowledge not only diminishes a voter’s ability to make good judgments at the polls, but it also diminishes the national level of citizenship. Often the media and political campaigns trivialize the political environment and process to the point that voters are turned off, then tune out. Since politics determines how all of us live and work every day, we can ill afford to tune out. There are so many excuses not to vote: All politicians are corrupt, I don’t like either candidate, my vote won’t matter. Ineluctable forces of history demonstrate otherwise. Every vote does count: The 1983 Democratic primary in Kentucky was won by less than one vote per precinct across the state. These excuses are simply direct attacks on democratic government. The U.S. Constitution guarantees all citizens of the United States age 18 and older the right to vote, and this right shall not be denied or abridged on account of race, color or sex. However, unlike Australia, U.S. citizens are not required to vote. In America, voting is a right, not a mandate. Forcing all citizens to vote would not redound to good and representative government. If people don’t know what they are voting for, their votes are meaningless at best and harmful at worst. Our Constitution provides the guaranteed right to vote, and individual states prescribe how citizens will register to vote, the times and locations of polling places and qualifications to be candidates for state and local offices. Requiring voters to present identification in order to vote is a no-brainer. How else can election officials know if this person is who the individual claims to be, if the person is properly registered and is not voting in more than one location? While election fraud still occurs, it is less widespread than in times past. One reason for that is enactment of measures requiring voter ID at the polls. Cheating in elections is one of the worst forms of dishonesty. Only a citizen may vote, and each citizen may vote only once in each election. Races for local government offices are just as important as state and national ones, and it is a mistake to regard those races as less important. Taxes, streets and roads, garbage collection, land use, sewer services, public safety and fire protection are issues that affect every citizen every day. How could anyone possibly not be interested? Those who do not show up to vote for several years in a row will fall off the registration rolls. You use it or lose it. Don’t let that happen to you – it is a fundamental responsibility of American citizenship. Pat Freibert is a former Kentucky state representative from Lexington. |
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