The value of your vote

Early voting in this fall’s local and statewide elections is under way with seats in the state legislature, posts on the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education, parish council seats and the offices of governor and lieutenant governor up for grabs. While the arrival of fall weather, football season, fewer hours of sunlight and the success of the LSU Tigers football team may tempt some to skip the elections for some tailgating, shopping or some other outside activity, that’s not a good idea.

As with most elections, there is too much at stake for any of us to shirk our responsibility to vote for the things we want and the people we believe can best deliver as public servants.

Too many people have marched, sacrificed, bled and died to secure the right to vote for any of us to take voting lightly.

With so much at stake regarding the future of Louisiana’s health care, public safety and public education, this is not the time to stay home on Election Day.
Unless, of course, you know something the rest of us don’t know.

If you’re satisfied with the job performances of all the elected officials running for re-election, think they are doing everything they can to promote the general warfare of their constituents and think there is no room for improvement, don’t bother to vote.

If you, your loved ones and everyone you know is being well-represented by the elected officials in your district and you have not been impacted by potholes, inadequate health care, the rise in violent crime, blighted housing, rising property taxes or a public education system that leaves much to be desired, free feel to stay home on Oct. 24.

If you’re happy with the way elected officials are spending your hard-earned tax dollars and the issues and situations that get top priority in City Hall, the State Legislature, BESE meetings and the Governor’s Mansion in Baton Rouge, you can sleep in on election day.

If you don’t mind witnessing the election of another Piyush Jindal who blocks Medicaid expansion, slashes funding for higher education and puts his political ambitions above the needs of Louisiana’s residents, you don’t have to vote.

If you’re willing to endure another four years with a governor who believes that the Confederate statues in New Orleans should remain in place and poor residents and people of color have no rights that the rich and powerful are bound by law to respect, by all means, stay home on election day.

If none of the previous situations describe you, you should get up early and vote on Oct.24 or take advantage of early voting. You should also remind your loved ones, neighbors, friends, former classmates, fellow church members and co-workers that a voteless people is a hopeless people.

Hands that once picked cotton can now pick presidents, governors, state legislators and school board members. Hands that once upon a time could only change diapers can now change history and the course of this nation,

But only if you get out and vote like your life, and the lives and futures of everyone you know, depend on it,

In this age of voter suppression and the rise of voter ID laws, you either exercise your right to vote or run the risk of losing it forever.

This article originally published in the October 12, 2015 print edition of The Louisiana Weekly newspaper.