Your vote counts, but only if you take the time to cast it

Your vote counts, but only if you take the time to cast it

Off-year elections don’t generate much excitement, so turnout throughout most of the Mahoning Valley is likely to be well below 50 percent. And since only about half of the people who are eligible to register bother to do so, that means that when all is said and done tomorrow, about one in five potential voters will actually cast a ballot.

That’s a sad commentary on citizen participation in a nation that is supposed to be a beacon of democracy.

While there are no presidential or congressional or even General Assembly races on tomorrow’s ballot, most people reading this have something to vote for, be it mayor, city council, board of education or board of trustees. There are a number of charter issues in various jurisdictions, as well as tax issues and local options.

As long as you’re registered, it’s not to late to educate yourself on your local candidates and issues and get out and vote. If you’re not registered, now is a good time to resolve to do so, given that we’re approaching a presidential election year in 2008.

Every election, The Vindicator conducts interviews in a number of area races and makes its endorsements.

The endorsement process gives the paper’s editors an insight that many residents don’t have, but, still, an endorsement is no more than a suggestion based on our interviews. Individual voters always make the final and most important decision.

This is a recap of the endorsements The Vindicator has made in this election:

Mahoning County

Campbell mayor, John Dill.

Boardman trustee, Larry Moliterno.

Canfield trustee, Paul Moracco

Canfield Board of Education, David J. Moore and Renee Gessner.

Youngstown Board of Education, Richard W. Atkinson, Gene Cook, Shelley Murray and Mike Write.

Trumbull County

Liberty trustee, Jodi Stoyak.

Liberty Board of Education, Frank Gorsuch and Jeffrey Grinstein.

Warren Board of Education, Edward P. Bolino, Nedra G. Bowen and Linda H. Metzendorf.

Columbiana County

Salem mayor, Jerry L. Wolford.

Issues

In Youngstown, we recommend passage of the four charter amendments that would realign control of the Park and Recreation Commission.

We also endorse passage of area school levies. While recognizing that personal finances are tight and there is a reluctance to approve levies, we suggest that elected members of boards of education take their responsibility to provide a quality education seriously and only ask their voters to approve tax issues as a last resort.

Whether you agree or disagree, do your part to make democracy work. Take the time to vote.