The Nov. 8 election is less than three weeks away. Some of you may have already cast ballots through early voting. Well done, and today, as in election years past, we take the opportunity to use this space to encourage the rest of the electorate to exercise their Constitutional right to select their government representatives.
We have provided charts outlining the candidates and their positions in races at the county, state and Congressional levels. See Pages 5 and 7 in this issue for the latest installments. All of our stories also can be found on our website at https://www.thehinsdalean.com. That’s also where you’ll be able to check out articles from our partner, Capitol News Illinois, on statewide races and issues as well as its 2022 Voter’s Guide.
The race for Illinois governor is, of course, the marquis event. But there are many races further down the ticket, the outcome of which could very well affect decision-making on issues at the community level.
Just in case you need additional motivation to head to the polls, here are some reasons why Americans need to cherish and exercise their most precious civil liberty (with an assist from https://www.civics-online.org).
• Those who don’t vote relinquish any right to complain about the failures of elected leadership or flawed governmental policy. If you want responsible representation, take your responsibility to vote seriously.
• It’s no secret that those with a particular agenda, often self-interested, are going to vote. When others who are not so narrowly driven stay home, it leads to a disproportionate amount of power going into the hands of just a small slice of the population. That’s when “representative” democracy begins to break down.
• Democracy should never be taken for granted. It needs considerable nourishment and encouragement from citizens to reach full-scale dimensions. Nonprofit organizations are much more likely to survive and thrive where public esteem and confidence in government is exceptionally high. Participation and trust breeds more participation and trust.
• Elected officials are fully aware of who votes as well as who does not vote. All voter demographics and election information is contained in public records. Armed with that insight, politicians then act accordingly.
Locations with high levels of non-voters will naturally be ignored, which typically spawns resentment and anger and may cause even more disengagement and lower voting rates. While a community’s residents are not going to agree on every issue, they should all be of the same mind that showing up to vote means officials will be much more likely to show up for their challenges and concerns.
• While people may believe — particularly in a presidential race — that their individual votes may not matter, just remember that elections are made of solely individual votes. And remember those individuals who gave their lives defending the country so that we could continue to enjoy that right.
“We do not have government by the majority,” said Thomas Jefferson. “We have government by the majority who participate.”
See you at the polls.
