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In Tuesday's Washington County Primary Election, a mere 31.41% of registered voters determined the fate of the county. There are 42,199 registered voters in Washington County, according to the board of elections. Only 13,256 of them showed up.
There is little room, then, for the majority of Washington Countians to be unpleasantly surprised by the results of that election. Those who, for example, were shocked to wake up Wednesday morning and learn renewal levies had been rejected for TWO local school districts can hardly stand in judgment when one renewal was defeated by only 997 voters, and the other by 2,133 voters.
In the case of the Belpre City School District renewal levy (based on the unofficial count), if 64 more people had shown up to vote in favor of the renewal, it would have survived.
In the case of the race for Washington County Sheriff, it will be provisional and absentee ballots that settle the score, after only 21 votes separated Washington County Sheriff's Chief Deputy Mark Warden from former Washington County Jail Administrator Greg Nohe on election day. It could be mid-April before we know the results of that race, as we await canvasses in surrounding counties and then consider the possibility of a recount.
In the Waterford A precinct, the race for a seat on the county central Democrat committee was even tighter. Elizabeth Klintworth received only three more votes than John Stephan.
Robust participation by educated voters is essential, folks.
Your vote matters. And in a county as small as ours, the absence of your vote is keenly felt.
Those who are eligible have until Oct. 7 to register to vote in the General Election on Nov. 5.
If you are eligible, register. If you are registered, vote. Yes, we have an obligation to be educated and engaged in the process; but all the social media squawking means nothing if not backed up by an actual ballot cast.
Tuesday's election showed us just how much is at stake. Let's not let the few decide the fate of so many come November.