With the November elections coming up fast, it is important to remember why it is so important that each citizen cast his/her vote in every election. Try to erase from your memory banks what party you may affiliate with or who you love and who you may hate. Put on the thought process of an “independent” and do your own research regarding what candidates have done, what they have said and what others say about them. Instead of letting someone else tell you what to do, do it yourself and find out for incumbent candidates what their voting record actually is and what they have said in the press, at townhalls, etc. and especially how a candidate may treat his/her constituents especially the ones who may have opposing points of view. For candidates without a voting record, the voter must rely on what the candidate says, what others say about him/her and then if elected, watch their records like hawks. Many people have forgotten that our founders purposely set up the elections so that “popularity” was not the reason someone was elected. It can happen, but the reason we do not have a simple majority wins vote is that even the founders could envision a few states controlling the entire United States. Each state has two senators who used to be selected by a state’s legislature but are now elected by the people. The reason is to give each state the exact same “voice” in public policy decisions.In addition, many people have forgotten that a country “of, by and for the people,” relies on those same people to be vigilant, to learn what our history and founding documents actually say instead of some comedian’s version of them and to be “independent” in thought at all times when doing his/her own research on each and every candidate for each and every election. If you are one of many who think “your vote doesn’t count,” do your research to find out – it counts far more now than it would with a straight popular vote – so use it or lose it.

Catherine Paxton

Arlington, WA