The number of roadside signs proclaiming “Vote for….” has diminished along our streets since the May primary election, but that doesn’t mean the political season is over, not by a long shot. After months of campaigning, we are in the closing stretch of the 2018 General Election.
The County General Election as well as the state and national primary elections are coming up in August and there will be another election in November to fill open state and national offices as well as a city election.
Early voting for the August 2 general election and state and national primary began Friday.
Early voting runs Mondays through Saturdays and ends Saturday, July 28. Election Day is Thursday, Aug. 2.
Tennesseans voting early or on Election Day should remember to bring valid photo identification with them to the polls. A driver’s license or photo ID issued by the Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security as well as photo IDs issued by Tennessee state government or the federal government are acceptable even if they are expired. College student IDs are not acceptable.
From the outset of early voting in Carter County several years ago, there was never an expectation that going to the polls for two weeks before Election Day would increase the overall turnout.
If that happened it was considered to be an added benefit. But the goal of early voting was convenience and maybe a step or two down the road to a time when we would vote at fewer polling places once this became a habit.
It has become a habit for some voters. Some people only vote early, just as some wait until Election Day.
We pay so much attention to habits in our politics that when something changes that requires citizens to adjust their routine it becomes a cause for concern.
Voting is a sacred act of democracy that, for many, involves a fair amount of ritual.
We go to the same schools, or other public building, every time we vote. We see the same poll workers checking names from the ledger. Usually you bump into a few neighbors before heading back to your car with a sticker on your lapel that tells the world, “I voted.”
Unfortunately, work and other commitments often intrude and it’s impractical, if not impossible, to perform this civic duty every time. Our overscheduled lives make it far more important these days for officials to use every tool available to engage voters in the democratic process. That includes early voting.
Early voting is far more convenient for voters, especially seniors. You’re not going to be standing in a line, at least not as long as you might be on Election Day. For working people it’s great because they don’t have to carve out one specific time to make their voice heard.
For candidates, supporters and even just plain ol’ voters, it has been a long haul, with newspaper and TV advertisements, meet and greet events, and door-to-door visits to seek support for chosen candidates. Politics at any level is hard work, plain and simple.
But, running for office and voting for elected officials is what makes a democracy and gives us a say in how our government is run. By far, things in America are far from perfect as we have a divided electorate. But, to have a say, you must vote. Your voice and your vote is just as important as the next person’s.