No More Delays When It Comes To Voting

The craziness our world has been thrown into continues. Day after day, week after week and now month after month we continue to press on despite many things still being in chaos due to the ongoing COVID-19 health crisis.

In reality it’s only been about a month since many businesses closed their doors, students began staying home, churches stopped having on-location services and grocery stores began running out of an odd list of items.

When will it all end? That’s the million-dollar question at this point. High school sports are on hold. We can only hope things will begin again for fall sports. For that to happen, however, things have to return to a normal routine by June.

You can’t start practicing football a week before the first game (or even a preseason scrimmage). The same goes for softball and cross country and other fall high school sports such as volleyball.

One of the most disappointing results of the COVID-19 situation (beyond those who have become sick and even passed away) has been the delay of our state primary election as well as Georgia’s presidential primary.

In fact, the presidential primary has been delayed twice here. Originally scheduled for March 24, the primary was initially delayed until May 19. Early voting had actually been underway for a few days for the presidential primary in Georgia before things were called to a stop.

This is not to minimize the impact of the health situation we are still dealing with now. However, under no circumstances should our primary be delayed again. It doesn’t matter what kind of emergency situation is declared or by whom, it is time for Georgia voters to be able to cast their ballots.

The presidential primary, at least for our state, is really symbolic now. All Democratic candidates other than Joe Biden have ended their campaigns. Georgia Republican officials would not allow President Trump to have opposition so that was a useless exercise of itself even before the health crisis.

We do still have an important statewide primary, however. Many important races need to go before voters. That’s true with the statewide contests as well as local ones.

If we can still go to the grocery store, still venture outside our homes and still be able to do many things we normally do, then voting must go on. Our country has held elections during world wars. Voting also continued during the Civil War. We voted approximately two months after the 9-11 attacks.

There is no reason for another delay. Unless this virus gets to the point where zombies are roaming the street then citizens must be allowed to make their choices at the ballot box.

June 9 is the third date for Georgia’s 2020 primary election. I mentioned previously that I hoped it was written in ink rather than pencil. In reality we need for it to be chiseled in stone.

If most people vote by absentee ballot then there is really no risk in voting. In-person voting has to be available by law but this is doable situation.

Too many men and woman have made the ultimate sacrifice for our right to vote. It’s something many citizens take very seriously. There’s nothing wrong with being cautious, but we cannot let fear prevent us (again) from performing our duty.

Let’s end the delays and end the excuses. Let’s hope for a large voter turnout not only in June but later this year in November when the general election arrives.