I got my voting ballot last week. I filled it out and voted for my candidates and my issues.
I like the voting setup we had in Colorado. Once I filled out my ballot, I took it a short distance to our local community center and put the envelop in a strong mailing box provided for such purpose.
How easy is that? Most of us remember the drive or walk to a building and room housing voting booths and machines and the waiting lines to sign in and vote.
One of the highlights of voting in that manner was the little red, white and blue sticker that said “I Voted.” Although momentarily it was a powerful feeling to know that I had expressed my will, it did take time out of the work day and made necessary a special effort and time to go vote.
For the most part, voting however it is done, is also an act of leadership and models a behavior for others to follow. In voting our sentiments, we choose the political direction of the neighborhood, the community, the state, the region and the country.
Sometimes it does not feel that way when we vote because of reasons like the idea that the vote of one person does not count for much, or the notion that one is in the political minority and that the majority will win anyway, or the feeling that everybody is fed up with a system of politi- cal dishonesty, corruption and do not want to be part of it.
Whatever the attitudes toward a political climate, it is important that we understand that one cannot withdraw voting from a democracy and expect it to survive because individuals casting their votes are the essential basis for its existence. We should understand that the vote is an act of leadership that, with advocacy, eventually joins others to support or change things especially at the local level.
A good example of this was the 1983 election for Mayor of Denver that was extended to include a runoff between Federico Pena, a 36-year-old young state legislator and Dale Tooley, the District Attorney for the City and County of Denver. This runoff was held because no one in the regular election received the majority of the votes.
I remember seeing the seven original candidates that included Mayor Bill McNichols and later Mayor Wellington Webb and thinking that Federico was very much of a dark horse. Yet, he came out of the contest as one of the two who received the votes to qualify for the runoff. Prior to the runoff, a short period was allowed to register new voters. I remember people in my family working tirelessly with oth- ers to register the relatively few votes needed for Federico Pena to win.
As a result of the special effort by an excited community, 5,000 additional Denverites were registered for the runoff. Mayor Pena won by 4,445 votes and his campaign slogan asking us to “Imagine a Great City” became a real- ity. In addition to all the others, those 5,000 that acted were the unforgettable leaders that “Imagined” and saw their vote result in the creation and enhancement of great institutions like the Convention Center, Empower Field at Mile High better known as Mile High Stadium, Coors Field and Denver International Airport.
It is time to register and vote your beliefs. It is a call to step forward in a moment when our democracy needs leadership and action.
The views expressed by David Conde are not necessarily the views of la Voz bilingüe. Comments and responses may be directed to News@lavozcolorado.com.
