Tuesday is Election Day, the most momentous occasion that our representative democratic republic observes. The United States is a democracy because its citizens govern themselves. It is representative because people choose elected officials by free and secret ballot.
Many of us may take this regular exercise in self-governance for granted, to the point that participation in it feels less than urgent or meaningful.
We respectfully dissent from such an orientation. Voting is the lifeblood of our American identity, and the more involvement, the more good our nation’s heart can deliver both at home and around the world.
Naturally the presidential election captures the headlines, but county and state races are just as important, as well as those for Congressional seats and our representatives in Springfield.
To help inform readers, The Hinsdalean has published charts providing candidate information. This issue features candidate charts on the DuPage County Board and DuPage County Forest Preserve District Board races on Page 5 and the U.S. House 4th District on Page 7. Visit http://www.thehinsdalean.com to see last week’s charts for the Illinois House 45th and 82nd district races.
Additionally, voters are being asked in a DuPage County Forest Preserve District Board referendum to decide whether to approve a 35-cent property tax increase to carry out improvements to current properties and to acquire additional land for public use. More details are available on our website (look under “News” for Decision 2024).
Illinois citizens are also will decide whether to amend the state constitution to create an additional 3 percent tax on income greater than $1 million for property tax relief for homeowners with smaller incomes.
These are meaningful matters, and your input is essential. Consider these reasons to cast your ballot:
• 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.
• When the self-interested go to vote and those less 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 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.
• All voter demographics and election information is contained in public records that politicians use to guide their actions. 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, 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.
