Our Opinion: Get out and vote

“This election is the most important election of our lifetime. Nov. 6 is the last chance we have to preserve our values and ideals before our country falls into chaos.”

Hyperbole? Absolutely. Candidates often use such hype to galvanize their base.

That said, the midterm elections are important. So is your participation in democracy.

There are many important choices we will make Tuesday. Do we want to increase the fuel tax to pay for roads/bridges? Do we think marijuana should be legalized as medicine? Do we want to implement ethics legislation? Who do we want to represent us in offices from the Cole County Courthouse to Congress?

These are just some of the decisions that will be made Tuesday, with or without you.

You’ve discussed (maybe argued) about these races and ballot issues with your spouse, your neighbors, perhaps with the community through letters to the editor on this page.

So on Tuesday, make it count. Take a little time out of your busy day to go to your polling place.

Here at the News Tribune, we’ve tried our best to educate you on the candidates and the issues through extensive coverage. Now it’s your turn.

Send the tax-and-spend liberals packing. Or put the brakes on the runaway Trump train by voting Democrat. Maybe you want to send them both a message and vote for a minority party. In any case, do what you have to do.

A Gallup poll conducted in September says 55 percent of U.S. adults say they are “more enthusiastic” about voting than usual, which contrasts with between 37 percent and 50 percent saying the same in Gallup’s final pre-election surveys each midterm year from 1994 through 2014.

“Americans’ enthusiasm for voting in November is significantly higher than it was in the prior six midterm election years,” the poll concluded.

Good. We hope people are more engaged, and we hope that results in a high voter turnout.

More important than any given election is having a citizenry that deeply cares about its country.

News Tribune