ELECTION: Be this type of voter

The May 21 primary is looming. What type of voter will you be? I envision four types.

First, there is the voter who doesn’t vote. Unfortunately, in the 2022 primary election, only 35.2% of registered voters in Kootenai County voted — that’s approximately 4 out of 10. 

Or are you the type who gets the ballot, doesn’t recognize some names and leaves boxes blank? I guess it’s better to not select someone if you don’t know where he or she stands. 

Maybe you are the third type of voter. This voter votes by recommendation. You align with either the Kootenai County Republican Central Committee or the North Idaho Republicans and you vote the way they recommend. 

Or perhaps you are the last type of voter. You know who’s on the ballot. You’ve seen the recommended lists and you’ve done research. I believe this last type of voter is, unfortunately, rare.

In the United States, we’ve lost the appreciation of political involvement. Rather than associating with a party based on platform, some believe they inherited affiliation. 

“I come from a Union family, we always vote Democrat.” “I’m a staunch Reagan Republican. If there’s an R by the name, that’s good enough for me.” 

I heard it recently said, “A Democrat in Idaho is a Republican everywhere else.” But wait a minute. The party label should be more than a title. It should represent a set of values and beliefs.

With the internet, there’s no excuse for being the first three types of voter. It only takes 15 minutes surfing a candidate’s website to determine if you align with them. Be the last type of voter, be informed and genuine.

JENNY HOLMES

Post Falls