San Diego County’s Registrar of Voters is predicting a 55 to 65 percent voter turnout for today’s election. That means that only slightly more than half of eligible voters will have input on picking our governor, selecting local representatives, ensuring public safety and deciding important environmental issues.  

On the ballot this year are propositions protecting California State Parks, implementing AB 32 to reduce greenhouse gases and address climate change and ensuring polluters pay for the damage their pollution causes.  To learn more about Prop 21, Prop 23, and Prop 26, check out Coastkeeper’s Voting Guide.

With such important issues facing the electorate this year and with so many people disenchanted with the way government works right now, why are people not voting?  We have tea parties, rallies to restore honor, sanity, and/or fear, and hours of endless political debate on multiple news channels, but our voter turnout is still only projected to be between 55 and 65 percent?!

Voting may be a right, but we should not forget that it is also a privilege. From this country’s founders, to Elizabeth Cady Stanton, to Martin Luther King, great men and women have fought—and died—so that citizens have a say in how they governed. Over the years, Americans have battled against voting restrictions based on sex, race, status as property owners, literacy, and even poll taxes aimed against those with lower income. Others have struggled long and hard for our right to vote, our right to voice our opinion on how we are governed.

Please, whatever else you do today, GO VOTE! Don’t know where to go? Find out where to vote in San Diego.