Barton County voters will head to the polls Tuesday for the county-wide general election. This is strictly a local election and an excellent opportunity to help guide our communities for years to come. With advance voting and absentee voting, casting ballots is easier that it ever has been in the past, give residents fewer reasons not to head to the polls.

Below are some reasons why one should vote.

• Voting is a way to speak your mind and let your voice be heard – Your vote is your voice. When we vote, we are actually telling elected officials and lawmakers how we feel about education, public safety, social security, health care, and other important issues.

• One voice, one vote really does count – Remember: there is power in numbers, and when we vote and get our family members to vote, we can truly make a difference. If you don’t vote for what you believe in, others will – and you may not like the outcome.

• Our children are depending on us to represent their voices too – Because our children can’t vote, we have to do it for them. That’s how we make our concerns about schools, safety, housing, and other issues heard. When we vote, we are looking out for our kids, and their futures.

• Voting changes communities – Do you ever wonder why one neighborhood gets passed over for things it needs, while another seems to get it all? One big reason is voting. When we vote, we can get results that we can actually see.

• Vote to effect change – It was through elections that we voted in officials who were champions for civil rights. Voting is our chance to make a difference in our own lives and within the world.

• Believe it or not, voting is a way of honoring our history – As long as our country has existed, there have been people who didn’t want us to vote. There were several freedom fighters that stood up for the right to vote. Well, those times may seem ancient, but there are still people today who don’t want us to vote. It’s now our turn to stand up and vote to preserve the honor of those who went before us.

• Last but not least, because it gives you credibility – Often times, we voice our concerns to elected officials, but if we aren’t voting, our concerns may not matter at all to them. Voting can actually give you the credibility to make your concerns a top priority for legislators.

Sadly, these types of elections tend to have low voter turnouts. This is unfortunate. Make your voices heard on Tuesday.

Dale Hogg