Saturday’s elections are the type of quiet affairs that usually slip by the majority of voters. But in some ways they are the most important for voters to participate in.
There are presidents, sheriffs, senators or other upper-echelon leaders up for re-election with the accompanying campaign materials. Such elections are difficult to ignore, and not voting in them often is presented as a type of protest. Rather, the races are of a more subdued sort. In St. John the Baptist Parish voters will decide on a quarter-cent sales tax increase that will benefit the Sheriff’s Office. In St. Charles Parish, voters in District 2 will pick a new councilman. And in St. James Parish, the municipality of Gramercy is asking for approval of a $1.5 million bond issue for water system upgrades. Not exactly the stuff of national headlines. But for the communities these decisions will impact, they are indeed important and could shape the future of these areas for years to come.
What’s more, in these smaller elections, every vote really does count. A recent Gramercy alderman election was decided by just one vote.
So this Saturday, get out and let your voice be heard. And not out of some sense of serving a higher good by fulfilling your civic responsibility but because this is one of those rare instance in which you really can play a role in shaping the face of your community.