It begins with one vote

I applaud Michael Helme’s recent letter urging everyone to get out and vote in the upcoming local elections on November 7. I vote because I feel voting is a precious opportunity to express my values and concerns.
It is easy to feel that one vote has no power to change anything and to feel helpless in the face of a system way too big for any one of us to change on our own. But without one vote, we would never have two votes, or ten votes, or 1,000 votes.
Every vote is necessary to get to the total. And in local elections, each vote is especially crucial, because these elections can be decided by tens or hundreds of votes.
It is only with all of our voices together that we have the power to choose representatives who will protect and enhance all aspects of our quality of life for all of our residents.
If you can’t find information out about a candidate’s positions, call him or her. I recently had a ten-minute conversation with my county legislator. We might have disagreed on some points, but he listened to my concerns and explained his thinking to me.
Ruth Landstrom
Monroe (home)
Warwick (business)