Samantha Chaffin

Editor-in-Chief

It’s election time again.

Yard signs and banners have flooded yards and windows of homes and businesses throughout the city of Pocatello and Idaho as a whole, and candidates are travelling across the state to win over votes of constituents.

Since the start of campaign season, I’ve heard from many of the people I associate with regularly, most of whom have voiced concerns regarding the state of the Idaho economy, education and subjects in between.

I am almost always happy to hear when my peers, coworkers or mentors have an opinion to offer about politics or the world in general. Unfortunately, this time, that wasn’t the case.

I’ve listened to countless individuals complain of the rising costs of higher education, the terrible truth of Idaho’s minimum wage not providing a livable salary, the lack of support for small businesses, the wasted tax dollars spent fighting gay marriage rulings and the recent investigation into Governor Butch Otter’s administration and the Corrections Corporation of America settlement.   

The common denominator amongst all of these complaints  and concerns wasn’t what party these individuals associated with, what religion they followed, what age they were or any other similar factor.

Rather, the common denominator was that less than half of the individuals I’ve spoken to over the last few months plan to vote in the upcoming election.

Some said they didn’t want to go through the hassle  of registering to vote, while others didn’t know where their polling place was. A few said they simply didn’t care for any of the candidates enough to vote, and more still said they were “just college students” and didn’t think they were eligible to vote.

But the number one “reason” the individuals I spoke to were choosing not to vote was, “we’re in Idaho and that means my vote doesn’t count because only republicans get elected.”

Does anyone else see the flaw in all of this reasoning?

First, questions regarding your polling place, registering to vote and eligibility to vote can all be answered locally. In addition, registering to vote and voting are neither long nor are they difficult processes.

Second, a key reason that republicans are winning elections so frequently is likely because those who support the republican party or the republican candidates are the people who make their voices heard by voting these officials into office.

Imagine if everyone in Idaho, or any state, only voted if they supported the dominant party—of course that dominant party would win elections!

I hope to see each and every person reading this at the polls this November 4. I hope to see people voting not for a political party, but for the best candidates for the positions regardless of political affiliation.

If you are unhappy with the state of things in Idaho under its current leadership, then this is your chance to do something about it.

For more information on local elections, you can contact the Bannock County Elections Office at (208) 236-7333 or (208) 236-7329.