Exercising your citizenship

Ballots for the August 4 primary election are in the mail. The Weekly News again, having thought long and hard about the ballot races, is endorsing you, the common citizen. Are you prepared to make your candidate choices?

This newspaper is taking the chance that its readers, neighbors and families will do the necessary heavy lifting in seeking out and sorting through the many contested elections to determine who is best qualified in terms of training, experience and temperament to occupy the many offices being filled.

People of good character, integrity and vision are needed now, more than ever, to lead us toward a sustainable future. Determining who those candidates are in the several contested primary races is dependent on each citizen’s efforts.

Your political right is to vote. Your birthright responsibility and obligation, both, is to be an informed voter. This is the bedrock duty of citizenship.

Informed is the key word. If 80 percent of life is showing up, as Woody Allen said, that earns a C grade. We can all make the added effort and be grade-A citizens.

No one is born a strong or effective or smart citizen. Like everything else in life worth doing well, one must invest herself, taking time and expanding effort. In our modern age, that is what websites are for.

Start with each candidate’s social media but go beyond, past the voter pamphlet filed with the Secretary of State to League of Women Voters organized forums and other third-party websites.

Candidates need to be known by the company they keep. Examine endorsements. More, find out who has been their big money donors. The state’s Public Disclosure Commission lists them.

Better still, call the candidates. Insist they call you back. Face-to-face meetings are out, but you deserve to have your questions answered. For that to happen, you have to ask. Ask, yes, informed questions.

It is up to you to determine fact from fiction and which facts are most important to you and to the future well being of our state.

In this 100th year anniversary of the 19th Amendment, women gaining the vote after fighting 70 years to win it, consider that through centuries many fought and died so everyone can cast a ballot. Take your voting seriously and work so you use your votes wisely.

This election has many contested seats. Avoid voter fatigue by learning about the Skagit Superior Court candidates. If you get water from the PUD, the Public Utility District, find out about the five candidates wanting to be the Position 1 Commissioner.

In the uncontested races, investigate the incumbents and decide to vote for them, or not. Make an informed choice on voting or not voting.

If you need to register to vote the deadline is July 27.

Your ballot arrives in your mailbox this week. Use it wisely and well.