Opinion

Voters still have work to do before primary

The deadline for registering for Oregon’s May 20 primary election was Tuesday. Congratulations if you cared enough and took the time to sign up.

But this is no time to rest. The real work for citizens in the American experiment in democracy begins now.
Yes, it was important to get registered, because if you don’t sign on the line, you can’t vote. So go ahead and pat yourself on the back for that (especially if you are a first-time voter).

The state voter’s pamphlet starting arriving in homes last week. Official ballots will be sent out Monday in Oregon’s vote-by-mail system. Keep your eye on your mail and be sure to put your ballot in a safe place when it arrives.

But there’s no sense in voting if you don’t know what you’re doing. The job before you now is to find out who’s running, what they stand for and who best represents you.

Read a newspaper. Pay attention to the flyers that arrive in the mail. Go to the candidates’ websites. Call the campaign headquarters. Phone a friend.

If you know where you stand, what you think and who you like, maybe this is time to get involved. Or involved again. Candidates for president and the U.S. Senate could use your help. There is a wide-open race for Oregon secretary of state that is stirring statewide interest. And wherever you live, there is a race for the Oregon House of Representatives, one of the most grass roots contests around. Candidates would love to have your help.

People around the world are envious of the rights and freedoms we enjoy in this country. The power that citizens hold — the ability for regime change through the ballot box — is remarkable, humbling . . . and should not be wasted.

You wasted the gift if you didn’t register. You will waste the gift if you don’t vote. And you will waste the gift if you vote without knowing what you are doing.