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We urge every eligible voter in Lycoming County to vote.
As the state's voting and election information website reminds us, the deadline to register to vote in this November's election is Monday, Oct. 19 -- roughly three weeks from now.
As we have expressed in the past, we remain concerned that many vital races lack competition. And as we also have expressed in the past, we remain concerned about a disconnect between the voting public and the system our founding fathers laid out more than 200 years ago: Our decentralized democracy places most of the mechanisms or procedures or authority that affect our daily lives in the hands of local and state officials, not the presidency or federal legislature that often seems to be at the forefront of voters' attention.
But none of these concerns are allayed by men and women neglecting their civic duty. Our state and federal legislature will not be better if voter turnout is worse.
Rather, our culture of civic participation, our expectation that our government will be responsive to the needs and concerns of constituents and respectful of the liberties of men and women can only be strengthened by greater turnout.
So, if you are not registered to vote, register before the deadline. Learn about the candidacies and then cast your ballots.
Our nation and our future depend on this engagement and persona investment.