It’s time to choose: Get out and vote

Here comes Election Day. Many of us have already voted and are just awaiting the results, while many of us look forward to going to the polls and casting our votes. Every vote counts. Participation counts. The more people who weigh in with their votes, the better off will be our nation, our state, our county.

In the end, it is about making choices, no matter what level of government. Here are a few litmus tests to consider:

Which candidates will best promote the stability and unity on which our nation, state and county prosper and thrive?

Which candidates are best positioned to create conditions in which this nation’s tremendous human resources – our collective wisdom – can be harnessed for the common good?

Which best understand and value the importance of universally accessible education for unlocking the human potential to recognize, assess and solve problems for the benefit of all? 

Which have the most  experience to make good decisions during these trying times?

Which candidates really understand the importance of clean air and clean water to our health and environment, and are best positioned as unifiers to get us all moving toward those lofty goals? A clean environment and a well-educated populace are our best defenses against all threats, including the coronavirus.

Which candidates best understand the importance of our national, state and local infrastructures – water, roads, sanitation – to our collective strength, and are best positioned to make steady and incremental progress toward improving those infrastructures? 

Which are best positioned to move beyond the limitations of partisanship to actually get things done? 

Which candidates actually recognize and are working on addressing mental health issues that threaten our security?

And which candidates display the most common sense to truly understand that achieving progress in all of these areas is our best prescription for a strong economy?

Keeping these things in mind can inform our choices and strengthen our democracy.

Now it’s time to choose and, most of all, to get out and vote.