Many reasons for low voter turnout

The Our View editorial of April 9 centered on a few items which resonated with me. some for good reasons, others for bad reasons.

First the issue of low turnout. The average person is decimated with political ads, commercials and rhetoric literally every day. There are very few days in the average year that some sort of campaigning isn't going on, whether it be nominations or final elections. I suspect most simply go weary.

It becomes almost impossible to sort out the who, what and wheres of the candidates. Sadly it is this point that many potential voters either walk away or use the recommendations of a newspaper. Both are the wrong choice.

Second: As you correctly point out, the multiplicity of governments from the federal, state, county, township, village and the complicated interwoven districts of schools, fire, library, parks, police and more make this unbearable not only in complication but cost.

All of these create their own levels of bureaucracies, which make them virtual entitlements of their own.

Within my village, we have three golf courses, two owned and run by the park district and one owned and operated by the village duplicating much of the operations and cost and competing with one another. It really doesn't make much sense.

Lastly, though voter turnout is low for local elections, I must concede those that do vote are aware of the local issues. I would rather see low local turnout of informed voters than an onslaught of uninformed voters simply checking boxes.

We have seen what that has led us to.

And so to end from Edmund Burke: "All that is needed for evil to prevail is for good people to do nothing." Get informed and vote.

Richard Francke

Bartlett