( … in Springdale)

Fay Cope is the Town Clerk of Springdale here in Color Country. She’s been a “spring board” of enthusiasm for the new “vote by mail” process being used here. Fay has been sending out emails to her mailing list to encourage the people here to participate. I thought a recent one was so good that I asked for her permission to reprint it.

The only clarification I want to add is that you might get the feeling from Fay’s message that it’s not going well. Nothing could be further from the truth. We also voted by mail in a primary election here and 64.5% of us voted. That was in a primary election where only one race (Town Council) was contested! (Our mayor is running unopposed.) That’s amazing!! And credit goes to Fay for making it happen. The problem with the general election (the subject of Fay’s current email) is that one winning candidate dropped out of the race after the primary. That means two of the three remaining candidates will win. It’s pretty much all over except the crying. (I think … we’ll see if I’m right.)

In the past, I haven’t actually been in favor of everybody voting. Too many people are simply uninformed. Americans still can’t find Iraq on a map. (Newsweek polls from 2003 to 2007 consistently show that close to half of Americans still think Iraq was behind the 9/11 attack. In the most recent poll, the figure was 41%.) But I don’t feel that way here. I’ve come to know my neighbors here better than I ever have in other places that I’ve lived and I actually respect their opinions here. It’s a new experience for me!

Anyway … Here’s Fay’s unadulterated and unabridged email:

Why you should vote in every election, and especially this one.

 The United States is a republic – we choose governing bodies to speak for us and make decisions for us. We’re not technically a democracy; if we were, we would make all our decisions with a raise of the hand and the majority would rule.  Town Councils, County Commissions, Governors, and State and Federal legislators are all chosen by us, by the accumulation of our votes. In that way, the majority of  voters rule.

 When you cast your vote, you should be aware of how your candidate thinks – so you know whether he or she will properly represent you in the republic. That is YOUR responsibility to the republic. It is the elected person’s responsibility to make decisions that best protect, serve and honor that constituency.

 If you’ve read all my election naggers, you know that Utah has the lowest voter turnout in the nation. I think that is tragic! I think this is why turnout is so low:  Utah voters – Republican , Democrat or other -  all think the exact same thing – “Why should I vote? The Republicans are going to win anyway.”  That’s a self-fulfilling prophecy in a Republican state  when an overwhelming majority of the people don’t vote. One problem with that is: we aren’t telling those elected officials how we are thinking, so they are going to go on doing the same old things they did in their last five terms. (Or about twenty, if you’re Orrin Hatch.) If we don’t like what they’re doing, we need to TELL them so. If  80% of the electorate votes, and if 48% of the voters vote for their opponents, they might still win, but they know they don’t have a mandate. If 90% of the votes are for them, well they know they are doing fine. If only 20% of the electorate votes, they don’t have any idea who thinks what.

 Our local elections are non-partisan, so party politics don’t come into this election. There’s absolutely NO reason why you should sit out any local election.

 In a local election, the people you elect will make decisions that affect you EVERY SINGLE DAY. They manage your water and sewer systems. They build sidewalks.  They establish your property tax rates and some sales tax rates.  They decide how much the Town goes into debt to bring you services. They coordinate with other state, local and federal agencies to bring services to you.  They decide how much the Town will grow. They hire the people who keep this town looking good and operating efficiently. They pass laws that regulate zoning, lighting, signage, licensing and hundreds of other things.  It MATTERS who you choose to make those decisions. Don’t let someone else make the choice for you just because you can’t be bothered to fill out a ballot, sign an envelope and drop it in the mail. Be a part of the choice. It’s how you raise your hand in this republic. If you don’t want to vote for two candidates, vote for one. If you don’t want to vote for anyone on the list, write in a legitimate name. If you don’t want to do any of the above, vote an empty ballot. (I am not really advocating that, you know. I’m just making a point. It is still raising your hand. And that ballot would be part of the official returns.) The important thing is – Vote. It matters.

 There are good candidates vying for the chance to serve on the Council. They need to know how much you support them. They need to know if the way they think is supported by a majority of you – or not.  They need YOU to speak with your votes so they know how to speak for YOU.   Let them know.  

 Find out about some of the candidates at http://washingtoncovotebymail.blogspot.com/

Fay Cope
Springdale Town Clerk

 PS: Mark your calendar for the Election Day Potluck at Town Hall – November 3 at 6:00 PM – Uncanvassed results of the election announced at 8:00PM.