Voting

I was driving home tonight and stopped by South Elementary so I could cast my vote for the next Mayor or Cedar City and to vote for City Council members as well.  I was just looking at the results and noticed that Maile Wilson appears to have won the race with 100% reporting completed.  The results however are not official so I don't know that she has officially been declared the winner.  Anyhow, I voted for Maile and feel she will do a great job.  I am hopeful of that anyway.  The interesting thing to me was looking at the total number of votes cast.  It was quite low.  The report says that we have 13,059 registered voters and the number of cards cast was only 3,926.  That is well under 50% of registered voters casting a vote.  If my quick math is right that is less than 30%.  That is sad in my opinion.  Very sad. 

I wonder what the outcry would be if the right to vote was taken away?  Alas, that will not happen.  We live in a wonderful Country that guarantees us that right and I guess it guarantees us the right not to vote as well.  Unfortunately there are many who do not vote but are filled with discontent and are quite vocal at there displeasure with the goings on in our government.  When you elect not to vote do you really have a platform?  I wish we would see a greater turnout. 

I can't help but think about the 1994 Elections in South Africa.  I was serving as a Missionary in the South Africa Capetown Mission of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints at the time.  These elections were the first time that all South Africans could vote the vast majority took seriously that responsibility.  Nelson Mandela was elected president and it was a time of great change in the country.  That right to vote was not taken lightly.  No, it was cherished.