Alabama's gubernatorial primaries are fast approaching.
Many people in this state don't bother to draw the arrow to their preferred candidate or check or X the box (72 percent of eligible voters in the 2006 gubernatorial primaries!).
You may be thinking, "It's just the primaries. What's the big deal?"
Here's why it's so important:
If you're a Republican and choose not to vote, the candidate you favor may not win.
And while Democrats may assume a Republican winning the final election is inevitable, the primaries are a prime opportunity to have your voices heard. And who knows? If the Republicans don't vote in the primaries and end up not liking the candidate selected, they may even vote for a Democrat if that person is the better choice.
Believe what you want, but every individual (at least those more than 18 years of age) has a chance to make a difference in our government. It would be a shame to pass up on having a direct influence over the shape of their government--and in this state in particular.
I've heard Republicans say they don't want to vote because in the primaries (or the general election for that matter) because they assume a Republican will become governor. I've also heard Democrats claim there's no point in voting at all for state offices since they think they don't stand a chance in November anyway.
This twisted logic frustrates me.
Whether you vote is your business. Who you vote for is your business. Quite frankly, I don't care who you vote for. I just want you to vote.
But you lose the right to complain about who represents your party, or even the other party, if you're opting out of participating in important elections such as this one. Obviously things come up and not everyone can make it to vote. But to intentionally choose not to have your voice heard is irresponsible.
And if you don't care enough to vote, you probably don't care enough to understand what you're complaining about.
The Republican and Democratic primaries for governor are on June 1 (though there are also going to be votes for other various positions). I highly encourage you to research all candidates and make your voices heard.
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