"I forgot." "I didn't have enough time during my lunch break." "I had to get to the kids' soccer, band, ballet" or whatever. "There are no big races, nothing of interest to me." "What does the register of deeds do anyway?"
Those are a few of the statements you might have heard in recent days about why people have not taken the time to vote during the 14-day early-voting period underway now at several locations in the county. As of this writing, fewer than 4,000 Hamilton County voters had cast ballots in the May 1 election.
Robin SmithWhy, out of 193,063 active registered voters (as of Thursday), have so few county voters participated in the critical process of self-determination?
Granted, primaries don't usually attract the heaviest turnout, unless there are hotly contested races. However, abdicating the privilege of voting is a bit of a head-scratcher. The ability to vote is not a right enjoyed by all adults around the world.
Women in Saudi Arabia couldn't vote until 2015 despite the nation's high rank in wealth per capita, according to Yahoo News (just one spot behind the United States). In more than 30 countries, voting is mandatory. But voting should be governed by the values of liberty and freedom, which serve as the foundation of a nation, not some compulsory actions pushed by autocratic actors.
Voter turnout in Turkey in 2016 was 85.2 percent, according to Global Citizen. Don't let that figure fool you. Turkey has shifted from a democratic republic to rule by one man - President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Formerly a ceremonial position, the "president" of this Middle East nation is a dictator. Erdogan's allies have used violence to create instability and gain power. Turkey's constitution has been written; power has shifted away from parliament to the executive branch of its government.
Wow. And, who says a nation can't be destroyed by those intent on abandoning its constitution?
But voting isn't just about exercising our privilege; it's about making sure we take the time to protect that which we value.
On Nov. 2, 2017, CNBC.com featured a story about long lines of people all across the world - in the U.S., China, Australia, India and Japan - waiting to shell out $999 for the new iPhone X. In less than one hour, the inventory of the iPhone X and series 8 sold out. Forbes followed the launch of the new phone and reported that into December, a month after the new phone's release, Apple was selling more than a million iPhones daily.
We obviously make time to do the things we value.
Yet, to determine the leadership of our government - those who collect our money, prioritize how to spend our money, and either represent our values or undermine them - we're unwilling to spend few minutes.
I voted early last week. (Early voting ends Thursday.) It would've taken fewer than 10 minutes had I not stopped to talk with the great folks working at the polling place. On Election Day, neighborhood polling locations may be busier, meaning you might have to wait a bit longer, but what does your vote really cost you except a few minutes of your time?
Freedom has value, but it also has a price. How many times have you paused when you heard of a family that has lost a loved one serving in our armed services? Every moment of our modern-day existence, men and women are devoted to protecting the freedoms of Americans and the value of our citizenship.
Let's not only talk about freedom, demand the rights of freedom and enjoy our freedom. We should exercise our privilege of freedom. Go vote!
Robin Smith, a former chairwoman of the Tennessee Republican Party, owns Rivers Edge Alliance.