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If all the political signs around town have not already told you, we have an important election to tend to next week.

Polls will open Tuesday, May 24, for a primary election involving local and statewide offices.

An important note for those thinking about blowing off the primary, our local offices will mostly be decided with only Republicans seeking votes for the two county offices on the ballot. For sheriff, we will see the names of incumbent Blake Turman along with former sheriff Dennis Meeks. There are three candidates for coroner: Norman Hobson, Kelley Averill Lynn and Eddie Rowell.

At the state level there is always a lot of interest in the governor’s race, which features a total of seven candidates on the Republican ballot and six on the Democrat ballot.

There are also the races for those who will represent our district in Montgomery. Josh Carnley, Norman Horton and Mike Jones Jr. are seeking the Dist. 31 State Senate seat, with no Democrats on the primary ballot. For Dist. 92 State Representative the Republican race is between Matthew Hammett and Greg White while the Democrat ballot has Phyllis Harvey-Hall and Vimal Patel.

With several races being decided in the primary, it is important for citizens to cast their votes next Tuesday.

Nationwide, primaries tend to see a 20 percent lower voter turnout then general elections. However, with some races being decided before the general election, we can’t afford to put off the primary.

Here are a few reasons you should carry out your civic duty on Tuesday by casting your vote.

Your Vote Does Matter

At some point, we all have probably felt like it didn’t matter if we vote. Perhaps our candidate of choice is well ahead (or well behind) in the polls. As we have seen time and again in recent elections, sometimes they are closer than we think. In 2018, a Washington state representative seat was decided by one vote. Same is true in a Vermont state senate primary race.

Your Opinion Matters

Regardless if you vote, the winner of an election will represent you. Voting for a candidate is often simply selecting a candidate of preference, not necessarily a full-blown endorsement. When you choose not to vote, you are letting others pick their candidates and you have silenced yourself. Win or lose, be active in making the decision.

Respect the Struggle

It may be hard in 2022 to fully respect the fight and struggles that came with gaining the right to vote. If voting was not important, there would be no 24th Amendment and the women’s suffrage movement wouldn’t have happened. Maybe the U.S. would still be a British colony if people didn’t think representation was all that important.

In the end, voting for those who will represent us is one of the most important things we do as citizens. Polls will be open Tuesday, May 24, from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., so make good use of your lunch break or stop off at the poll on your way to, or from, work. Whether you cast the deciding vote or not, your voice does make a difference.

— Robert Blankenship is the publisher for the Andalusia Star-News. He may be reached at robert.blankenship@andalusiastarnews.com.