Voting in the Lehigh Valley

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I’ve written afew times before about voting. I consider it both a right and a privilege, justlike controlling the radio station when I’m the only adult in the car. (ThenWHYY it is. Sorry, Ellen.)So why is itthat so many of my fellow citizens choose not to exercise their right to vote,particularly in local elections? Do they not feel informed enough to make achoice? Do they not realize that many local elections are “decided in theprimary” since members of the Other Party are rarely elected to certain posts? The first timethat I registered to vote, it was in the District of Columbia. DC’s licenseplates don’t say “Taxation Without Representation” because it’s a witty rhyme.It’s because the residents of DC don’t have any voice in the US Senate, andtheir one Congresswoman can only vote in committee. I marched up to theelementary school near my dorm (later, apartment building) and voted in everyelection. I loved that DC’s Wards each elected their own representative to CityCouncil. It bugged me that Eleanor Holmes-Norton never garnered enoughrespect/pity/attention to advocate for the voting rights of half a million UScitizens.I changed myregistration to PA when I moved here in 2006. I own property, pay schooldistrict, County, City, State, Federal taxes. Local elections are often decidedby a couple hundred votes, and the elected officials often make decisions thatdirectly affect my family and me. Why on Earth wouldn’t I vote?Primary electionsare coming up in both Northampton and Lehigh Counties, and there’s a mayoralelection in Bethlehem that I’m closely connected to. I encourage you tocarefully consider the candidates, and have your say on May 21. If you aren’tcurrently registered to vote, there’s still time to contact your County voterregistration office.