City electors mustn’t squander opportunity

Published 8:05 am Wednesday, October 25, 2017

Next month voters in Milledgeville will decide who will be the city’s next mayor, but you wouldn’t know it by the number of citizens who have shown up to cast ballots thus far during early voting. 

Advanced voting for the local municipal election began last week, but as of Monday afternoon, just 163 people had taken advantage of the early voting period. In addition to the mayoral race, voters in District 5 are deciding their City Council representation and there is one race on the Georgia Military College Board of Trustees to be decided. 

While there may be a swell of voters at the polls on Election Day, recent history suggests otherwise when it comes to voter turnout.

That is certainly unfortunate.

Early voting is a convenient way to take part in the democratic process. This period was created to make the elections process more accessible for the electorate by not limiting the voting option to just one day. 

Why not take advantage?

We mustn’t take our citizenship for granted. We mustn’t set such a poor precedent for generations to come. We must value it more.

It’s certainly no secrete that turnout in recent elections has been abysmal, a fact we’ve mentioned in previous editorials. But when we take a moment to think on the kind of legacy we’re leaving future generations with regards to voting and the democratic process, surely we all agree that we are setting a very poor example. Our lack of participation leaves little for our children to desire to follow.

There is still time, however, to turn the tide for this year’s election.

Early voting runs through Nov. 3. Eligible city voters can stop by the courthouse 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday to cast their ballot.

In order to cast a vote in person, residents are required to present some form of government-issued photo ID, which can include a Georgia Driver’s License (valid or expired), an employee ID from any military branch or government entity, a valid U.S. passport, or a valid tribal ID. Voters can also apply for a Georgia Voter ID card by bringing a picture or approved non-picture ID (including the voter’s full name and date of birth), documentation showing the voter’s date of birth, proof of voting registration, and documentation showing the applicant’s name and address to either the registrar’s office or the Baldwin Department of Driver Services office. 

City voters should take note and take advantage of their opportunity to weigh in on the democratic process.