Political Opinion from a Democrat Perspective: Important local elections are upcoming

These past two articles, The Davidson County Democratic Party has used its platform here on Davidson Local to start generating tough conversations here in our community, in hopes of creating change. This month’s article will be no different. We have a very important event coming up right around the corner in Davidson County: 

ELECTIONS. 

It is not a surprise to anyone that the voter turnout is always lower during municipal elections. Most people storm the polls when we have a presidential election & our country is caught in the heat of deciding whether they support the Democratic or Republican Candidate. However, that same fire & energy NEEDS to be applied to our municipal elections. During the last Municipal elections there were 3,073,903 voters registered in municipalities holding elections. However, only 500,640 NC Citizens voted resulting in a 16% voter turn out. In contrast, there were 7,359,798 total registered voters during the 2020 elections. A total of 5,545,848 citizens voted resulting in a 75.35% voter turnout. This gap is outrageous. If you want to take some time to look at these numbers, please visit the North Carolina State Board of Elections website at https://www.ncsbe.gov/results-data/voter-turnout/2021-municipal-election-turnout . 

I think by now you’ve realized how much I love asking our readers questions, so here’s the one for this month: Do you realize all that is at stake during the Municipal Elections? Sure, the presidential elections are pretty important, but most of the changes that come along with a new candidate affect our lives on a federal level. They are miniscule changes compared to the 

impact our local elected candidates can have on us. This upcoming election we have very important positions to fill such as the Mayor, City Council Members, and more. The responsibilities that come with these positions have a GREAT impact on our everyday lives as citizens of Davidson County. There are very important issues at stake during our local elections this year. The elected Mayor will control & appoint city council members to oversee important areas in our city, for example our local police departments. Our city council members will literally be our voice when laws are proposed, since they will have the final vote on any proposed legislation. These people are the people who will control the funding in our different cities. These are the people who will decide who will be appointed to our school boards. These are the people who could choose to re-vitalize Davidson County and actually bring change. In summary, these people can be the difference between our community thriving for change, or enacting policies that take us back in time to slow our progress. 

Please exercise your right to vote. As a woman of color, I am grateful to all the women who fought for my right to vote. I am thankful to all the civil rights movement leaders who fought for my right to vote as a person of color. I am thankful for every sacrifice that was made in order for my vote to count. You see, progress would never have been made without the right to elect candidates who fought for change. Many times we hear “my vote doesn’t count”, well I am here to tell you that when the voter turnout is low, like during municipal elections, the deciding factor can be down to 10-15 votes between candidates. THIS MEANS YOUR VOTE COUNTS. Take a moment to examine all the candidates who are running this election. Ask yourself whether their values align with your own, and whether you think they will actually speak up or be a passive

candidate. The future of our county is at your vote. For more information about voting locations, voter registration, early voting, and candidates please check out Davidson County Board of Elections at their website https://votedavidsoncountync.com/home-page.