The right to vote is a precious one

Like other election officials, I dread the inevitable question I am asked every election.

It's not so much that the question is a difficult one; it's simply a matter of also having to respond to the other question that always follows the first. Events of the past few months in a far off island nation and a tragedy closer to home have to some extent helped me gain a better insight and perhaps a better answer to the questions.

The questions are rather straightforward. First I am asked, "What percentage of voters will turn out for this election?" In answering this question, I simply refer to past election history and offer a guess based on current issues and how the public appears to be responding to them.

After the election, and usually on election night, the dreaded second question is asked: "Why didn't more voters vote in this election?" The standard response is usually that the voters who didn't vote must have had other priorities. The frustrated response is "Go ask them and let me know what they say." As I said, every election official ponders these questions, regardless of political affiliation, because we are hopeful that our fellow citizens will find it important enough to exercise their right to vote.

The response from the voter who exercises the right not to vote runs the gamut from "My vote doesn't count" to "It won't make any difference" to "I'm fed up with our government and have better things to do." Indeed, there are enough members of our community who feed this attitude so it is now almost generally accepted that not voting is a social norm. All of these responses may hold some justification; however, if these are the responses of those who couldn't care less about voting, then what motivates those who do vote? If I can answer this question, maybe I can answer the ultimate question of why so few vote at all.

In searching for the possible answer, I considered my generation and the other older generations in the hope of discovering an attribute or attitude we were taught that perhaps other generations either ignored or didn't learn. Growing up in Colorado Springs, I learned the importance of citizenship. Maybe that's what we've lost or forgotten to teach, citizenship. But I think I'm wrong. I think the younger generations are being taught the importance of citizenship as evidenced by an article in The Gazette concerning the involvement of District 11 high school students in a candidate forum ("Students take charge of D-11 forum," Oct. 20). But will they become skeptics like so many others as they grow older, give up and not participate in the process? If so, isn't it then more of a question of individual gratification or the good of the community as a whole? As a voter, am I more interested in what I get from my vote or what is best for my community? Indeed, some theoreticians have even come up with a voter decision-making formula, but I think there is more to it than a simple formula.

As I mentioned, two recent events drew me closer to what may be the answer as to what influences each of us when deciding whether to vote in any election, regardless of the issues. Unfortunately, I believe its connected to the fact that we Americans have forgotten our history and the many choices our country faced in our struggle for independence, not to mention a Civil War, two world wars, and other conflicts that resulted in the loss of American lives. Have we become so jaded that we take for granted, and thus discount as unimportant, the simple act of voting?

The first event happened in far-off East Timor in September. You may recall seeing news reports about the Indonesian-backed militias literally killing hundreds, if not thousands, of Timorese in an effort to retain control of the tiny island that has been under the control of Indonesia since 1975. But do you recall what precipitated the death and destruction? It was because people voted. Imagine if you will, thousands of people literally placing their lives on the line to simply be free, and they made that choice by merely voting. And they paid for their votes with their blood. Perhaps if they had paid more concern about their individual self-interest and not voted, as opposed to their interest in their community as a whole, the death and destruction that followed might not have occurred.

This election day I will remember a second recent event about someone whose life ended much too soon. Someone who would have voted in her first election on Tuesday, the day after she would have turned 18. Her name was Rebecca Reynolds and the report about her untimely death in The Gazette was right on point ("Valedictorian at Lewis- Palmer killed in crash," Oct. 19). About midway through the story is her father's statement that the most important thing for her in reaching adulthood was to be able to vote. While certainly other adult privileges may have been on her mind, this one simple act of citizenship was the most important. After reading the story, I checked Rebecca's history file in our records and learned that she apparently was so excited to vote that she registered to do so on Aug. 31, well before the registration deadline. Unfortunately, due to a traffic accident, she won't vote at her precinct, or ever.

Reading about Rebecca left me with this question: Why was she so excited about voting? I'm sure her parents can take a great deal of the credit. But as I read about her life, her activities, her hopes and her dreams, it became quite obvious why voting was so important to her, and I suspect why it's so important to those of us who do vote. Simply put, it's called civic commitment because, regardless of the doubts, negative media, or distrust and frustration with our government, or even the outcome of an election, we believe in the good of the whole rather than what is only good for our self- interest. Regardless of the outcome of an election we believe in our communities enough to participate in the process while others enjoy the freedom to choose not to participate.

If you choose not to vote at this or any election be assured that somewhere in our community, nation and world others are, and some to the extent of literally putting their lives on the line at the ballot box. Other Rebeccas excitedly await the opportunity to be a part of their community by voting for the first time. As a result of our commitment to our community, your future will be decided by our votes and your acquiescence and non-participation for whatever reason.

- Kelly is El Paso County Clerk and Recorder.

Copyright 1999
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