How to explain voting to a young adult? Hmm.. this is a tough one for me.
So I start with: I’m not a good Republican. I’m not a good Democrat. But I think I am a good voter. I’m Unaffiliated, and proud of it. It seems that the scales are leaning this way locally and nationally.
First, I want to say, I do NOT speak as the editor here. I speak as a person. As a registered voter in Gilpin County, Colorado. Sometimes it’s hard for people to discern that I am a community member and not endorsing ANY candidate. So I reiterate that.
In the past few months, I’ve put a lot of thought into the upcoming general election. I’ve listened to speeches, followed candidate progress, asked questions of people I consider to be knowledgeable about politics in general.
I’ve met one on one with some candidates. I’ve asked my own questions. I’ve enjoyed the responses, whether I agree or disagree. I’ve shared my own thoughts. I’ve politely argued a point and listened thoughtfully to a counter argument.
I’m young (maybe) in my voting career. At 52 years young, I have only had an opportunity to participate in 8 general elections. Think about that. In my lifetime, I’ve had only eight opportunities to vote for the next President of the United States. That seems so miniscule compared to the years I have been on the planet.
This year, my youngest son will have the opportunity to vote. And he is starting his voting life in an election year. My oldest kids have had the opportunity to vote in three elections. And my daughter (who turns 21 Sunday) has not had an opportunity to vote in a general election.
How will they vote? Not my business. My goal is to give enough information that they also make educated, informed decisions when voting. And they use their personal values, life experiences, future goals, current ideas, and more to vote for their candidate(s) of choice.
In the local Nederland election, which just wrapped up, the results were posted online at 9:51 p.m. on Tuesday, April 2, 2024. They will be in the paper as well. I want to personally thank all of the people who took the time to fill out their ballots. And thank all of the candidates for throwing their hats in the ring. And I want to thank the Town for running the election and the election judges for their time. I look forward to what Nederland will see next and what the new (and returning) board members will bring.
And I look forward to thoughtful conversations with friends and neighbors as the general election rolls around the corner.
Now, I’m going to speak as a representative of the newspaper. This week, I received three separate requests to include articles or information in the paper that had already been published in other papers. I want to make it very clear, in writing – we do not publish works that have been printed in other newspapers. The only content you will see in our newspaper that has been printed in another, is an advertisement, a campaign through a specific organization (like this week’s Voter Voices), and letters. We strive to keep our content unique and unbiased. We do not participate in political smear campaigns. We do not reprint information that is not ours.
Local folks who wish to submit a letter are welcome to do so, as long as our letter policy is followed:
“We welcome thoughtful, local letters to the editor. You can submit online on our website or by email to info@themountainear.com. Letters may be edited for length (less than 500 words) and content (rude, vulgar or obscene). Letters must include local name and address, to be considered for publication in the next available edition. We reserve the right to refuse to print letters.”
As always, The Mountain-Ear is YOUR community source for news of the entire Peak to Peak region. We welcome your thoughtful questions and comments. Contact us at 303-810-5409 or by email at info@themountainear.com.
