Voting, Our Most Precious Right
by Tom Buchanan  08/11/02
Originally published in the Loveland Reporter Herald on 08/11/02

Our form of government is a constitutional republic. We have a set of laws clearly defined in our Constitution. The Constitution defines the role and responsibilities of our elected officials. The Bill of Rights was added to specifically limit the powers that government can exercise over a free society.

We in America are privileged to enjoy the right of participating in free elections to select our leaders. This right is not enjoyed throughout the world. It should not a to be taken lightly! Take notice next time a country anywhere in the world goes from a dictatorship to one allowing free elections. People will walk, sometimes for days and hundreds of miles and stand in seemingly endless lines to cast their vote. We cannot seem to get to our respective polling place in our own neighborhoods.

The right to vote in this country was fought for in the Revolutionary War. Hundreds of thousands of men and women have sacrificed their lives so that we may continue to enjoy this right. Those who do not participate ought to be ashamed. There is no excuse! If you are going to be out of town or for some reason unable to perform your patriotic duty you can get an absentee ballot.

Many people do not take part in this process because of many different reasons. Reasons include; I am too busy, I can't get to the polls, it doesn't matter who gets elected, they are all the same. The excuses go on ad infinitum.

Politicians have tried different approaches to get more people to participate. As we become lazier as a country fewer people exercise their right to vote. We have gone to a method of voting by mail. This method is susceptible to corruption and fraud. How do you know that your vote does not find the shedder before it gets counted? How do you know that a dead person, or a dog, or an illegal alien did not cancel out your vote? Remember humans must open them and they get to see who or what propositions you voted for and humans are subject to corruption.

Sure you may have absolute trust in the elected officials at the moment, but what about the next person that assumes the position? When will we stand up? Will it be when elected officials say we don't need to vote because they have conducted polls and know what we, the people want? Just as important as our right to vote is assurance that only eligible people are actually voting. The mail in ballot does not come close to addressing this issue with any amount of certainty. The best method we have is to show up at he polls, sign your name and cast your vote. It is such a small price to best ensure accurate voting.

Tyrant Josef Stalin once said, "Those who cast the votes decide nothing; those who COUNT the votes decide everything." The founders of this nation gave us the foundation for an ethical government. Over the years our internal vigilance has become near sighted. It is surely not too big of a sacrifice to go to your polling place and cast your vote.

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