Editorial by The Parkersburg News and Sentinel
West Virginia voters have several significant decisions to make today.
From school board seats and local renewal levies to who will battle it out for the governorship or a spot in the U.S. Senate, choices made today will resonate for years to come.
Do not let them be made by a minuscule percentage of the state’s residents.
During the 2020 primary — which was, of course, at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic — voter turnout was 36.53%. A mere 449,077 ballots were cast to decide the fate of 1.785 million people.
Lest you blame that miserable turnout on the pandemic, let’s look at 2016. During that primary, only 39.9% of registered voters — 495,407 people — cast ballots.
We leave decisions up to so few, and then we wonder how we get into some of our messes.
It doesn’t have to be that way. If you are a registered voter and haven’t already done so, vote. Today.
Polls are open from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Remember to take your ID.
If you’re not sure where to go, check here: https://tinyurl.com/5573mnsv.
Those of you who read the news each day (or just take a look at what is happening around you) and mutter to yourselves “someone should do something about this,” today is your chance. It’s the one guarantee we have that our voice will be part of the decision-making process for our schools, communities, counties, state and country. And remember, your choices are between you and the voting machine. No one else has to know.
Do not throw away that chance. There is too much depending on the course we set for the next few years. That course starts with some decisions that will be made final today and some that will set the stage for a November showdown.
It starts with you.
Vote.