Thoughts and ramblings on voting this year

Are you one of the many who has heard enough about politics this season? Don’t be ashamed. I’m a news junkie, and even I have to turn off the noise every so often.

But the bigger question is: Have you voted and, if not, do you plan to vote?

I really hope the answer to that question is a resounding “yes.”

And indulge me in one more column about the elections. Because of our publishing cycle, we felt it was too early to discuss voting in the October paper so here we are. It’s Nov. 1. You might be receiving this after Election Day. If so, feel free to turn the page. There’s lots of good content beyond this column.

But if you haven’t voted, make a plan. That is not just a slogan. It is important.

Voting is integral to our democracy. It is a right and a privilege. And it is important.

In my lifetime, excitement and milestones have always surrounded voting. For each presidential election, when and where to vote were the big questions. Of course, how you were going to vote was a question, but that was personal and for small, private discussions.

And I have had some memorable election days. I remember an absentee ballot when my residency was in Virginia. I filled that out in my college dorm room in Illinois. That ballot was so long that when I held it up, it brushed the floor. I needed to get a witness to certify that ballot.

Fast forward to Utah. We lived in the mountains north of Salt Lake City. Where was our polling place? In someone’s living room about half a mile up the road. Cookies and coffee were available.

I’ve voted in person in Virginia, Illinois, Utah, Ohio and Massachusetts. I’ve completed absentee ballots. I’ve waited in lines. I’ve been prepared and not so prepared. But I’ve never considered not showing up for a presidential election.

And that concerns me now.

I’ve heard about a lot of unconcerned, uncommitted potential voters. They don’t think their votes will make a difference. They think that living in an overwhelmingly Democratic or Republican state makes the vote inconsequential. Disaffected? Apathetic? Confused? It’s hard to say.

But that’s never true. Numbers count. Making your individual voice heard counts. And even if you don’t believe your voice counts in the race for a particular office like President right on down to local representative, there are always statewide questions that most certainly affect your life and need your opinion. This year, both Rhode Island and Massachusetts have five questions on their ballots.

And here are some interesting facts from ballotopedia.org.

In Rhode Island,166 ballot measures appeared on statewide ballots between 1985 and 2022. One hundred thirty-one (131) ballot measures were approved, and 35 ballot measures were defeated.

In Massachusetts, a total of 76 ballot measures appeared on statewide ballots between 1985 and 2022. Forty-one (41) ballot measures were approved, and 35 ballot measures were defeated.

It’s easy to form an opinion with a little online research. And please, research both sides of every issue. If you’ve been reading my ramblings for a while, you know that I’m a proponent of tuning in to a wide cross-section of media.

So, get out there and VOTE to make a difference. And make it a habit.

Fran Ostendorf,

Editor