Be responsible citizen and informed voter

Well, it’s almost here — the most important day in the life of any republic: Election Day.

As we have noted before, there is a high level of interest in this year’s primary election, from county contests to state and federal races. Unfortunately, on Tuesday, when the final voting takes places, we will discover that the turnout is disappointingly low, as it always is for the greatest constitutional republic in the world. There is a core group of engaged and committed voters who make sure to vote every year, but that group may be getting smaller. It’s up to all of us to encourage younger citizens to take their responsibility seriously, as well as anyone else we know who may not have voted recently. You can still register to vote, even up to Election Day. To do so, you must appear in person at the Election Department, fill out a voter registration card, and vote a ballot that you give back to the election office staff.

If you aren’t sure how to vote, don’t worry. There’s still time to learn about the candidates and the issues.

The Daily Inter Lake published articles about all the candidates running in contested county races. You can still access those articles online at www.dailyinterlake.com by looking for Local Elections under our News menu. In addition, you can access question-and-answers for county commissioner, sheriff, justice of the peace and U.S. House and Senate races by visiting our digital archive at http://dailyinterlake.mt.newsmemory.com/?special=Political+Tab

You can also read about the ballot initiative to determine the future of the Egan Slough Zoning District, and by extension the proposed water-bottling plant. This ballot issue demonstrates in particular the responsibility of voters in a democratic republic. It is up to everyone who votes on this issue to understand the consequences of their action, which has bearing on both the common good and the importance of individual rights.

You can read about the results of all the elections online at dailyinterlake.com Tuesday night and in the paper the next morning!