Taking Responsibility for Your Vote

It's not just our duty to vote, we need to be responsible for the results. For awhile now, I've felt that those who voted to put Bush and Chaney into office should be helping to clean-up the mess Bush and Co. hoisted on our country. I don't see this happening. And what about those who didn't bother to vote? As fellow Americans, where is their responsibilty in all of this mess?

What about our local elections? What is our individual responsibility here in Tunica County?

Here's an example to mull over: In Beat 2 there are approximately 1200 registered voters. On 8 Nov 2011, 665 votes were cast for the office of Beat 2 Supervisor. These 665 votes represent 55% of the 1200 registered voters in Beat 2. This would mean that 45% or 535 of the registered voters in Beat 2 did not want to vote or did not bother to vote. So, the question is this: By not voting does a person have any responsibility to their fellow citizens?

Now, let's go back and work with the 665 votes that were cast for the position of Beat 2 Supervisor. Of the 665 votes cast, 424 went to Burnett and 241 went to Hudson. The 424 votes represents 33% of the 1200 registered voters in Beat 2. The 241 votes represents 20% of the 1200 registered voters in Beat 2.

This means that 80% or 959 (424 + 535) of the registered voters in Beat 2 either voted for Burnett or didn't vote at all. To my way of thinking, this 80% of the registered voters in Beat 2 are, for the next 4 years, responsible for the performance of the Beat 2 Supervisor. Good luck with that.