Milwaukee Courier Editorial
The spring election season is upon us and your social media accounts, news feeds, and mailboxes have likely been flooded with reminders to vote for good reason, there’s a lot at stake this year.
The upcoming elections will determine Milwaukee’s next mayor, county executive, comptroller, and city attorney. Additionally, there’s an MPS referendum on the ballot, alongside a presidential primary leading up to the November election.
The presidential election is important with so much on the line including women’s reproductive rights, climate change, voting rights and health care in addition with the possibility of conservative Justices Clarence Thomas, 75, and Samuel Alito, 73, retiring, the next president could be in the position to appoint two Supreme Court Justices.
If you ever think that one vote in a sea of millions won’t make much of a difference, consider some of the closest elections in U.S. history.
In 1800– Thomas Jefferson was elected President by one vote in the House of Representatives after a tie in the Electoral College.
In 1910-During the 1910 elections for New York’s congressional district, Democrat Charles B. Smith polled 20,685 votes while his opponent received 20,684 votes. The one vote margin made him the winner.
In 2000– The Presidential election was decided by an extremely narrow margin. George W. Bush won the state of Florida by just 537 votes, making him the next President of the United States. Close to 6 million voters went to the polls in Florida. It might not have been by one vote, but certainly every vote counted.
A Portland State University study found that fewer than 15 percent of eligible voters were turning out to vote for mayors, council members, and other local offices. Low turnout means that important local issues are determined by a limited group of voters, making a single vote even more statistically meaningful.
Participating in elections is one of the key freedoms of American life. Many people in countries around the world do not have the same freedom, nor did many Americans in centuries past. No matter what you believe or whom you support, it is important to exercise your rights.
If you don’t vote, others will make decisions about your government on your behalf. In the US, half of eligible voters abstain from voting. Democracy’s core principle is to prevent power from being concentrated in the hands of one person, which poses the greatest risk. When power is shared among many, no single entity holds complete control.
The City of Milwaukee is offering early voting between Tuesday, March 19 and Saturday, March 30.
Election Day is Tuesday, April 2, 2024.