I’m not sure what it is about voting, but it always gives me a buzz. Granted, I’m a nerd about these things, but I don’t think I’m alone.
On Monday, when I entered the church that was my polling station for this year’s advance voting, I could feel the energy. It started with the friendly campaign worker who greeted me at the door and continued with the guy who (behind Plexiglass) explained how to not just mark my ballot but dispose of my used pencil (thanks COVID.)
Even in the parking lot as people came and went, there were nods and smiles and just a general sense of purpose — an awareness that we are a part of something bigger.
Perhaps this is just me projecting my feelings on others — I’ve been known to do that — but I still don’t think I’m alone.
I talked to a friend recently whose son refuses to vote because “one vote’s not going to matter, mom.”
And he’s right, a single vote won’t determine the outcome, but just like a drop of water won’t knock over a blade of grass, let’s think about the tsunami.
But enough of the touchy-feely stuff...you may notice in this edition of the Richmond News our election coverage is restricted to practical things, such as what to expect on election night, what polls are saying.
We have steered clear of anything that may sway voters in one direction or the other. (Polls may do that, but it’s impossible to say what direction that would be.)
The reason for no last-minute election news is that this is our last print edition before Election Day. If we make a mistake (not that that would ever happen) or include something that can be challenged, we won’t have an opportunity to do that in a following paper.
This tradition has been in place since before I became editor. And while I agree with it, it’s somewhat frustrating given that many people only tune in to election news a week before voting day.
Thankfully, we have a workaround — it’s called a website.
Because we can make instant changes online, our final day to post can be much later.
The other great thing about the website is it can categorize and archive stories. If you go to richmond-news.com and click on Menu, you will see a BC Votes 2020 tab. Click on that, and you’ll find everything we have written about this election to this point, including candidate bios, candidate debates via Zoom, as well as announcements and party platforms.
Also, check us out on election night. We will be tracking results, gathering reaction and posting stories. We may not have final results due to the high number of mail-in ballots and the fact Richmond is predicted to have a couple of close seats, but we’ll report what we know.
Back to my friend’s son...I get that voting in this election won’t change the world. In fact, where we shop, how we conduct our daily lives may have greater impacts. But there is enough in the world we can do nothing about, it seems a shame to do nothing about what we can; free and fair elections should never be taken for granted.
