'What kind of democracy are we living in?'

On Tuesday, November 7, 2017, there will be elections for the Orange County Legislature and most of us will probably not take time to go vote.
In the 2013 elections, for example, about 31 percent of registered voters participated in the election for District 3, which includes a large part of Warwick and small parts of Minisink and Wawayanda. If we counted eligible voters who were not registered, that percentage would be even lower.
What kind of a democracy are we living in?
On the one hand, it is a sad commentary that so few of us participate.
On the other hand, these elections — especially for county legislators — tend to get little news coverage, so maybe that’s an excuse not to show up at the polls.
But I encourage everyone to buck the trend. Elections are important, because one of the primary functions of government is to maintain a proper balance between the interests of businesses and the will of the people.
When few people show up at elections, businesses that have financial interests in legislative decisions tend to get politicians elected who help them out.
If you are a voter, why do you go to the polls?
If you are not a voter, why don’t you go to the polls?
I encourage each citizen to look at the candidates closely, decide who represents your interests and plan to cast your ballot on November 7th.
Best regards,
Michael Helme
Warwick