Today, American citizens will have an opportunity that people in many parts of the world would love to have.
They’ll have a chance to play a part in selecting new office holders all the way from school board members to president of the United States.
This is a privilege Americans should not take lightly.
In each election, a relative few of our fellow citizens step forward with an offer to serve.
They make their cases in debates, in candidate forums and in the pages of this newspaper both in their own words and in the words of their supporters. Much of the space on this page in the last two weeks has been devoted to letters touting the reasons voters should support one candidate or the other.
If you’re still weighing your choices, you can find many of the stories we’ve printed in a voters’ guide at pharostribune.com.
Many of us have been anticipating this day almost since the last presidential election four years ago. The campaign, it seems, has been going on forever, and the claims and counterclaims have grown more and more shrill as the hours ticked down to this final day.
Regardless of how the election turns out, most of us will be glad to put the non-stop political ads behind us.
For many Cass County voters, the election is already over. According to County Clerk Beth Liming, nearly 8,500 voters had cast ballots by the end of the day on Saturday.
Perhaps that many more will cast their ballots today, and if that happens, the county will actually top the 71 percent turnout it recorded four years ago. That year, Liming said, the county had about 100 more registered voters, and roughly 16,000 of them voted.
If you haven’t already cast your ballot, please take a few minutes to do so today. If you live in Cass County, you can vote at any of the seven vote centers scattered across the county. Don’t forget to take along a photo ID, and if you received one of those blue postcards in the mail, take that along so that you can sign it in the presence of a poll worker.
If you don’t have the card, you can still vote. It just might take a few minutes longer.
Today is your chance to play a part in the democratic process. Don’t miss it.
Where to vote
The polls will be open from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. today at the Logansport Mall, 3900 E. Market St., Logansport; Cass County Senior Center, 115 Sixth St., Logansport; Cass County 4-H Fairgrounds, Davis Road and 125 North, Logansport; Royal Center Town Hall, 104 E. North St., Royal Center; Walton Fire Station, 110 S. Depot St., Walton; Galveston Community Center, 101 S. Park Road, Galveston; and Twelve Mile Fire Station, 6945 N. Jefferson St., Twelve Mile.
Both county party organizations will offer rides to the polls. Republicans can call party headquarters at 574-722-2754. Democrats can call county chairman Paul Ulerick at 404-386-6662.
The Cass County Voter Registration Office can be reached at 574-753-7870.
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