Voters have been doing their part in large numbers, the state Board of Education told us over the weekend.
Early voting has again been significant. Election Day has arrived and this is the final chance for all of us to have a say in our government.
Then the real work begins.
At election time, we’re reminded that those elected to office are campaigning every day for the next election. We won’t argue that point; decisions are made, and there is always another election.
We’re just not crazy about the presentation of such a mentality.
Rather, we’d like to see the fervor, the passion and the enthusiasm we’ve seen in the run-up this year be matched or exceeded over the course of the term by the winners. And see them engaged with the public listening to them. But not just them. We hope to see community involvement in our government matching what we’ve witnessed of late.
Our theory is such consistency over time could dilute the bursts that are so tiresome in the couple of months prior to elections.
Big asks? Definitely.
There’s no denying among any of us that pretty much as soon as it was felt there was enough time separation from the hurricane, we’ve been bombarded and slammed with political chatter. It’s come at us nationally from all angles, and it has come at us locally.
Many candidates got out, as they usually do, and made the rounds and talked their game. Advocates for them did likewise. And in communities not just here but throughout the country, people rallied together trying to help move particular candidates into office, or keep those there in office.
But after the election, what happens?
Will we still see the involvement, both by candidates and those who were engaged for them? And if so, what will it look like?
We don’t ask those questions searching for an answer tied to partisan majorities. We ask looking for answers on how we’ll move forward from Election Day to make our communities a better place.
After all, that’s why the candidates are running.
That’s why the people have rallied.
We all want a better place. Sometimes, that place is viewed the same by different individuals but because of contrasting ideas on how to get there, we have to mark our ballots.
Our democracy solves the differences of opinion. That’s the beauty of Election Day.
We hope any ugly parts of this election season subside quickly. When the votes are in, they’ve been counted and the winners determined, no matter how much work we thought we saw in the campaigning — it pales miserably in comparison to the jobs ahead for those elected.
We need them to do well, even if we didn’t vote for them. In the end, we all want something better.