Your vote is democracy in action

The pillar of representative democracy is voting for the candidate who will forward your interests. That is how the citizenry makes its wishes known to its leaders.

In Virginia, the two main political parties have taken different paths to determining which candidates should be their standard bearers in the November elections.

The Democratic Party has opted for a full, open, and public primary to select its candidates for governor, lieutenant governor and attorney general. The Democratic field is robust and full of candidates with compelling personal stories, commitment to public service and diverse experiences as public officials.

Standing up for governor are: Lee Carter, Justin Fairfax, Jennifer Carol Foy, Terry McAuliffe and Jennifer McClellan.

Presenting themselves for lieutenant governor are: Hala Ayala, Mark Levine, Andrea McClellan, Sean Perryman, Sam Rasoul and Xavier Warren.

Running for attorney general are: Mark Herring and Jay Jones. These candidates stepped forward because they had something to offer. Their enthusiasm, however, presents a challenge for the voting public—with so many, how do you choose?

The Culpeper County Democratic Committee joined with neighboring committees to host three Zoom Central Virginia Candidates’ Town Halls, one for each position. Those sessions were recorded and are available on the Culpeper Democrats website (culpeperdemocrats.org), where you can also find links to the individual candidates’ websites.

For comparison, the Republican Party selected its candidates for these three state-wide offices in an unusual, unassembled convention. Those who got to vote last Saturday had to be approved first by each county Republican committee. According to a report from the Virginia Public Access Project, Culpeper Republicans were allocated 98 votes to cast for each of the three offices.

The Democratic Party’s reliance on a public primary, on the other hand, is meant to be as inclusive as possible so that all voices call be heard.

The public’s participation in the June 8 Democratic primary is vital to protecting our democracy. Because the Democratic Party has always seen itself as a Big Tent party, accepting a diversity of class, race and religion, a weak turnout will further embolden anti-democratic forces that are afraid of elections
In the 2019 primaries in Culpeper, 3,183 votes were cast. In the 2018 primaries, 4,465 people cast their ballots. The field of candidates in those elections was not as robust as it is today. We should strive for a far better turnout in this year’s June 8 Democratic primary.

Early voting in Culpeper started April 23. If you want to vote early in person, please go to the Registrar’s Office, 151 N. Main Street, Monday through Friday between the hours of 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. The office will also be open on two Saturdays, May 29 and June 5. To check your registration or find any other information, contact the Registrar at 540-825-0652 or registrar@culpepercounty.gov.

If you want to vote early by absentee ballot, the deadline for requesting a ballot is May 28.

If you are new to Culpeper and have not yet registered to vote or have changed your address, the deadline for registering for the June 8th election is Monday, May 17th.

You can, of course, cast your ballot on election day, Tuesday, June 8, between the hours of 6 a.m. and 7 p.m. at the polling place in your precinct.

There is no greater responsibility of citizenship than voting. It is a constitutional right of enormous importance, and that is why there are forces trying to suppress our vote.

See you at the polls

David Reuther, a retired U.S. Foreign Service officer, is a past chair of the Culpeper Democratic Committee. These are his personal observations. This opinion piece was previously published by The Culpeper Star-Exponent at Your vote is democracy in action