Capsun's Corner – by Capsun M. Poe

Don’t worry, it’s not what you think – I would never condone nor encourage voter fraud.  What I am talking about is voting during every election.  I registered to vote before I was 18 – as allowed by Hawaii law – and cast my first vote by absentee ballot, which makes the whole process so easy.  So easy, in fact, that I have only gone to my physical polling place twice in my life.

By voting during every election – which has included every Primary and General since graduating from high school and two Special Elections – I have voiced my preferences through my ballot, electing candidates that I prefer.  Many people don’t vote in the Primary, but they may not realize for non-partisan offices, if a candidate receives a majority of the votes (50% +1) they can be elected outright and not have to go to General.  Or if you live in a district that only the Democrats or only the Republicans are running someone for a position, with no opposition from another party, whomever wins the Primary will be elected outright as your State Senator or State Representative.  And with so few people turning out to vote in the latest Hawaii Primary, it made my vote and those of others who voted that much more powerful.  Even Lifehacker noted this.  While I may have liked that my candidates won, fewer voters making those decisions that affect all of us is not a good thing.

There is a very important reason that I vote early (in addition to often), meaning absentee or walk-in voting, before the actual Primary or General Election Day.  In Hawaii, as in many places, results aren’t released until all the polling places are closed.  What that means is the first printout only includes absentee votes.  Because it usually takes a couple hours for the second printout, viewers, listeners, and readers will have to look at the same results for all that time.  So by voting early, you can ensure your candidate or issue has as many votes in the beginning as possible – it doesn’t change the end result, but it can make you feel better if you lose.  Don’t forget that if some emergency comes up on Election Day, you won’t need to worry about trying to squeeze in getting to the polls – it’s just a big convenience!  And absentee voting is increasing in popularity.  Did I mention it’s as easy as mailing in an application or just walking to a special polling place?

If you’ve been following me, you know I’m a nerd.  Here’s the latest nerdy thing I did:  I even saved the pen I used to vote for president – and all the other items on my ballot, for that matter..  If we make history today, it will be something I’ll want to keep for a while, maybe to show my yet-to-be-made children one day.

So remember to go out to vote today.  Whether you agree with me or not on a candidate or an issue, you should make your voice heard.  We live in a representative democracy, but if you aren’t voting, it’s not truly representative.  As Lotte E. Scharfman of the League of Women Voters is credited with saying, “Democracy is not a spectator sport.”  If you are going to vote today or if you’ve already voted, THANK YOU – now go spread the word and get just two more new voters signed up. And if you aren’t registered, please take some time to get yourself registered for the next election.  Just because you didn’t vote in this election doesn’t mean you can’t vote in the next one!

Mahalo!

Tags: ballot, election, general, primary, vote, voting