The power of one informed vote

Who says one vote doesn’t matter?

In Glen Alpine last November, Sheila Perkins finished one vote ahead of Lucas Huffman for the final available seat on the Board of Aldermen. In Rhodhiss, which spans Burke and Caldwell counties, Joyce Karn secured the final commissioner seat with 28 votes to Kelly Michaels’ 26.

One person in Glen Alpine and two in Rhodhiss changed the trajectory of their respective elected boards.

Those were municipal elections, not midterms. But their lesson belongs in every election. One vote can help determine who makes decisions for a community. Every vote matters. Our midterm history shows how many voices are missing from those decisions.

But casting a ballot should be the final step in a thoughtful process, not the first time we consider our choices. Getting educated is step one.

Two candidate forums were recently held. The first was hosted by the Burke County NAACP and Indivisible Burke, with Common Cause North Carolina at Catawba Meadows Park; the second by the Burke County Chamber of Commerce in the Leviton Auditorium on the campus of Western Piedmont Community College (read more about this event on Page 3A).

Both offered opportunities to hear candidates explain themselves beyond a campaign slogan. In neither event did candidates talk to a full house.

We understand that work schedules, caregiving, transportation, and the demands of everyday life can make attending difficult. Missing a forum does not necessarily mean disengagement, and there are still plenty of opportunities to get informed.

The Paper is committed to giving you the facts and context you need to make your own decisions.

On Saturday, Oct. 10, The Paper will launch a new Elections page at thepaper.media, bringing candidate profiles and related stories together in one place. Read at the kitchen table. Compare responses after the children are asleep. Return to a story when a new question occurs. You can learn about the candidates at your convenience, right from home.

The goal is not to tell you how to vote. It is to help you understand your choices.

Look beyond names and party labels. What does each candidate propose? What experience supports those promises? Does the office actually have the authority to deliver them? How would the candidate pay for a proposal, and what would have to give?

Start with what matters to you, whether that is school funding, a tax bill, or public safety. Match that concern to the office responsible, then look for specific answers. A promise to “fight for you” tells you less than a clear explanation of what a candidate would do — and how and why.

The ballot also includes three proposed amendments to the North Carolina Constitution: expanding the constitutional photo ID requirement to all voters, capping the state income tax rate at 3.5%, and requiring limits on local property tax increases. Those questions deserve more than a quick glance in the voting booth. Read the proposals and the arguments for and against them. Ask what would change, who would benefit, and what trade-offs might follow.

You do not have to become an expert on every issue. Preparation can happen in manageable pieces. Start with your sample ballot. Read about one race, then another. Check claims against reliable reporting and sources.

Then make a plan to vote. The regular registration deadline is 5 p.m. Oct. 9. Voter registration forms are available in our office, 110 S. Sterling St. Eligible voters who miss the Oct. 9 deadline can register and vote at any early voting location, Oct. 15-31, with the required documentation. Election Day is Nov. 3.

Your vote does not have to break a tie to matter. It is your share of the decision about what comes next for Burke and Caldwell counties. Give it the preparation it deserves. Then cast it.