Denniston Park NA

Less Than 7% Vote In the Ward 2 City Council Race

Mar 05, 2003

As many of you probably already know by now, a City Council election is just around the corner.?  We here in Ward 2 will have some excellent opportunities this March 18.?  Amy Brooks, our ward's current councilwoman, will be stepping down after a successful career of civil service.?  Two local neighborhood candidates (one from Cleveland Neighborhood, and one from our very own Denniston Park) have stepped up to bat.

We in Ward 2 will soon once again find ourselves the beneficiaries of the greatest inheritance of all time -- the vote.?  As March 18 draws closer, we'll find ourselves aligning ourselves with this candidate or that.?  Fundraisers will be held, speeches and debates sponsored, ideas discussed.?  Lest this all sound terribly boring, remember what a privilege it is to be able to exercise this right we often take so for granted.? 

Americans have shed their blood so that liberty and the popular vote might go hand in hand in this country.?  In the last 140 years, slaves have been freed, women have been liberated, and countless immigrants given the chance to join in the American dream.?  But it's all meaningless without the vote.?  Susan B. Anthony put it so simply and to the point, "Suffrage is the pivotal right."

Unfortunately, the concept of democracy is still a pipe dream in many other countries around the globe.?  How very sad, then, how extremely disappointing, when we hear of American adults who lack the common sense and gumption to get out and exercise the right to cast a ballot!
Here are some sobering numbers for you.?  There are approximately 43,000 registered voters in Ward 2.?  DID YOU KNOW that, in the last City Council election, only 2,743 of those voters voted??  It's true -- and those 43,000 are only a fraction of the true voting population, as many voting age adults are not even registered!?  Assuming that such poor voter turnout was typical across Oklahoma City (and it was), that means that fewer than 7% of the registered voters alone decided who would govern us (and how) in the last election.?  How awful!

No time for whining, though. It's time to get off our duffs and get out the vote. It's time to remind ourselves that every vote, from the Presidential election all the way down to school millage questions, is very much of the essence if we are to keep our republic strong and free.?  Never forget Ralph Waldo Emerson's timeless words on the subject: "Those who stay away from the election think that one vote will do no good. 'Tis but one step more to think one vote will do no harm."

If you're not registered to vote, go change that now.?  The process is quick and painless and (contrary to popular belief), your information will not be used for anything other than tracking voters.?  If you ARE registered to vote, consider organizing a voter registration drive and/or working on a campaign.?  For both kinds of information, feel free to contact The Oklahoma County Election Board and/or The League of Women Voters.?  Oh, and get out there and VOTE!