Apathy means ceding power

Published 5:06 pm Friday, August 21, 2009

Given the measly voter turnout, you’d think Snohomish County had just been through a ho-hum primary election.

Based on the results, it was anything but.

A relative handful of votes separated candidates for mayor in Monroe, Lynnwood and Granite Falls; for city council in Edmonds; and for the east county seat on the Snohomish County Council.

With countywide turnout less than 25 percent through the latest count, it wouldn’t have taken many more returned ballots to change some of the results. Instead, the vast majority of registered voters were content to let others decide who will run this fall — in races that arguably will have a greater impact on their communities than any at the state or national level.

Last year’s presidential election had seemingly everyone engaged. Yet just nine months later, critical local elections produce a big yawn. Amid the deafening debate over health-care reform, one that has so many people’s attention, the silence of this close-to-home apathy resounds.

Local elections are all about community — where and how we live, how we want to shape our future. If you care about the place you call home, local elections provide the perfect vehicle for expressing it. Learning about the candidates and the issues they care about … comparing their priorities with your own … sharing your own concerns with the candidates when they come to your door … starting a discussion with a neighbor about a candidate or an issue … actually voting … these are the building blocks of community involvement.

Care about taxes? Public safety? Local streets? Sidewalks? Schools? This is the time when as a community, we get to weigh in on them.

The Nov. 3 general election will decide a majority of the County Council, a powerful legislative body that shapes development patterns and oversees revenue (taxes and fees) and spending on lots of vital services, including the sheriff’s office and the rest of the county justice system.

Voters in cities throughout the county will elect city council members, and in six they’ll elect mayors. In most, the decision makers who emerge will make a lasting imprint on their city.

Everett Port District voters will elect two new members to the three-seat commission, one more than usual because of a recent resignation. Four candidates are vying for one of the seats, a race that could be particularly tight.

The more local the election, the more potential impact each citizen has. If you sit it out, you’re ceding that power to others.

This year, resolve to pay attention. Speak your mind, to your neighbors and on your ballot. Your community needs you.