By Dawn Burleigh

The Orange Leader

So many times we hear someone state they don’t vote because their vote does not count.

Here is a time the votes counted and just one more vote could have called for a run off election. I am referring to the Orange County Republican Primary race between incumbent Barry Burton and challenger Theresa Adams Beachamp for the Commissioner Precinct Two seat.

Beachamp won with two votes. Count them, one, two… two votes.

If Burton had just one more vote, there would have been a Run Off Election between the two and maybe more voters would have turned out to cast their vote.

Beachamp, Republican, will face Deborah Mitchell, Democrat, in the November General Election.

The results from the Primaries have shown the importance of exercising our right to vote and locally, every single vote counts.

Barry Burton stated many times leading up to the recent election, every single vote counts. The results show just how true!

While Democrats had a lower turn out for the Primaries, the main reason was due to the lack of contested races. Even as such, Don Brown, a Democrat candidate whose status was in question at the beginning of early election, still received over 1000 votes.

People still turned out to cast their ballot, which also showed support for the party.

While I personally believe the best action for the future of our country is to do away with the two party system, I also understand the Primaries help us eliminate some of the ‘not best’ options for the positions.

On the same note, why are more not throwing their name ‘in the hat’ so to speak and running for office?

Continuously hearing how people want change and want the area to have more to offer families, youth and activities, yet, filing dates open and rarely are there new names on the ballots.

County Judge Brint Carlton was a new name when he ran a couple of years ago. This election a new name appeared, Dean Crooks. Crooks won the Republican Primaries showing the voters still want someone new in the seat.

The Primaries did show us each and every vote does count, at least on the local level. This is something to remember when one is searching for an excuse to not vote. Your vote could make the difference between your candidate of choice or their opponent winning in November.

 

Dawn Burleigh is editor of The Orange Leader. She can be reached at dawn.burleigh@orangeleader.com