I know of a woman who not only has a grand sense of humor but also has a passion for voting in every election. While she admits that she doesn’t always fully understand some of the various political issues, she constantly stresses the importance of her single vote.
Gloria unexpectedly passed away earlier this week. She was 41 and leaves behind a teenage daughter.
As I thought about next week’s election my mind kept going to Gloria. This woman was so young, vibrant and staunchly committed to exercising her right to vote. As I thought of her tireless dedication to the political process, I couldn’t help but think of the millions of people who are eligible to vote, yet don’t. Then there is that group of people who only feel it is necessary to vote in “big” elections such as the presidential and gubernatorial races.
I know voting in every election, regardless of prestige or notoriety, was Gloria’s main focus. She didn’t get caught up in the politics of politics; Gloria remained focused and simply voted.
One aspect of voting is being educated about the political process as well as the candidates. For the last couple of months, the Recorder has provided in-depth information on candidates running in various races; including Democrat, Republican and Libertarian City-County Council candidates, and the highly contested mayoral race featuring Republican incumbent Mayor Greg Ballard, his Democratic challenger Melina Kennedy, and Libertarian Chris Bowen. Sounds like the introduction of a heavyweight fight, doesn’t it?
Well, from my estimations, the fight for Indy’s next mayor is going to be a close bout – with the victor attaining only a slight edge.
Through the Recorder’s coverage of all political candidates, we wanted to provide our readers with information that would help you make the most informed decision in order to cast your vote. In addition to that, we hope our coverage will be a conversation piece for you…something you can discuss with your friends, family and colleagues. We want our political coverage to be stimulating for you.
Each year as we draw closer to the election season, I am asked why the Recorder doesn’t endorse political candidates. My answer is simple: while it is important for the Recorder to educate readers about various public officials, through our news coverage, we tend to take the more traditional journalistic approach by remaining politically neutral. That is why you see articles about Republican, Democratic, and Libertarian candidates. Our job is to provide coverage that not only informs, but also instills thought-provoking dialogue so that you can choose the candidate that best represents your views.
We are now only days away from the election. I can’t stress enough the importance of voting. Please vote Nov. 8. The polls will be open from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m.
You can email comments to Shannon Williams at shannonw@indyrecorder.com.
