TODAY marks the end of the early voting period, an increasingly popular option among voters.
Kanawha County Clerk Vera McCormick has been reporting bustling activity in the Voter's Registration office in downtown Charleston since Oct. 12. That's where the early birds must go to cast ballots.
Alas, I was not among them.
I voted early once, a couple of years ago, just to see what it was like. It was an impressively efficient operation. I was a little bothered that no one asked me to verify my identity, but that doesn't happen at my precinct either.
Since then, I have reverted to voting at my neighborhood school on Election Day.
After many years of working for a daily newspaper, I am deadline addicted.
I also like the ritual. Election Day feels like a holiday, even though it's a very long workday for newspapers.
It's the culmination of months of anticipation, like finally getting to cut into the turkey or open the presents under the tree.
Waiting also lets me put off making decisions about certain races. Perhaps a candidate in a hotly contested race will say or do something that sways me in the last few days.
On the other hand, the Daily Mail finished announcing its candidate endorsements more than a week ago. Our editorial board always has voted early, in a sense. That's because we make those endorsements as a service to readers.
We're not telling people how to vote. We're just reporting what the editorial board recommends after a vetting process.
For weeks we devote precious time to meeting with candidates. We talk with them about issues and try to get to know them, especially the newcomers.
We also study background material, such as previous news stories and candidate bios. Finally we get our heads together and come up with consensus choices. Some races are easy; some are agonizing.
Consensus is a key word. It's unlikely the ballot cast by any single board member perfectly matches the newspaper's list of endorsements. We respect each other's privacy and keep that to ourselves.
Regular readers are aware of the newspaper's editorial philosophy, and we assume they take that into account when judging our endorsements. We believe in small government that respects individuals' liberty, and we believe economic growth helps more people, faster, than growth in government.
However, our choices are not purely philosophical.
We also assess intelligence and character.
A candidate's positions on today's burning issues are important. Also crucial is this question: Is this someone who can be counted on to think clearly on the next, unforeseen issue?
TODAY marks the end of the early voting period, an increasingly popular option among voters.
Kanawha County Clerk Vera McCormick has been reporting bustling activity in the Voter's Registration office in downtown Charleston since Oct. 12. That's where the early birds must go to cast ballots.
Alas, I was not among them.
I voted early once, a couple of years ago, just to see what it was like. It was an impressively efficient operation. I was a little bothered that no one asked me to verify my identity, but that doesn't happen at my precinct either.
Since then, I have reverted to voting at my neighborhood school on Election Day.
After many years of working for a daily newspaper, I am deadline addicted.
I also like the ritual. Election Day feels like a holiday, even though it's a very long workday for newspapers.
It's the culmination of months of anticipation, like finally getting to cut into the turkey or open the presents under the tree.
Waiting also lets me put off making decisions about certain races. Perhaps a candidate in a hotly contested race will say or do something that sways me in the last few days.
On the other hand, the Daily Mail finished announcing its candidate endorsements more than a week ago. Our editorial board always has voted early, in a sense. That's because we make those endorsements as a service to readers.
We're not telling people how to vote. We're just reporting what the editorial board recommends after a vetting process.
For weeks we devote precious time to meeting with candidates. We talk with them about issues and try to get to know them, especially the newcomers.
We also study background material, such as previous news stories and candidate bios. Finally we get our heads together and come up with consensus choices. Some races are easy; some are agonizing.
Consensus is a key word. It's unlikely the ballot cast by any single board member perfectly matches the newspaper's list of endorsements. We respect each other's privacy and keep that to ourselves.
Regular readers are aware of the newspaper's editorial philosophy, and we assume they take that into account when judging our endorsements. We believe in small government that respects individuals' liberty, and we believe economic growth helps more people, faster, than growth in government.
However, our choices are not purely philosophical.
We also assess intelligence and character.
A candidate's positions on today's burning issues are important. Also crucial is this question: Is this someone who can be counted on to think clearly on the next, unforeseen issue?
Sometimes when I stand in the voting booth and prepare to mark my ballot, I feel grateful for a job that allows me such access to candidates.
There are other ways to become informed, of course. Some organizations sponsor "Meet the Candidate" events, although candidates often tell us these events are not well attended. While many of them show up faithfully, they sometimes find themselves addressing each other and the sponsors.
Such disinterest also is reflected in low voter turnout, a perennial day-after-the-election story.
My thoughts about this have changed over time.
Yes, it just seems right that more people should vote. But what's really needed is more people informed enough to do so.
Some people always vote. The ethic was instilled by their parents, and they accept the responsibilities that come with citizenship in a democratic society.
But that responsibility is not forced, and low voter turnout may suggest the ethic is eroding.
It may be that people simply aren't that unhappy with what's going on around them or, more likely, believe their vote has no impact.
So we've reached the point where some among us are so responsible and engaged that they hotfoot it to the courthouse before Election Day while others aren't bothering to vote at all.
I've worked a lot of election nights, and here's the one prediction I'm willing to make: Something unexpected will happen.
Those who thought their vote didn't matter may discover they were just plain wrong.
Come Wednesday, a cast of players will have been chosen to make decisions that affect all of our lives.
Friend is editor and publisher of the Daily Mail. She may be reached at 348-5124 or nan...@dailymail.com.
Get Connected