February elections lead to bad turnout

No more February elections. Less than 13 percent of county registered voters cast ballots in the February primary. The turnout was the worst in 32 years for McHenry County, per County Clerk Katherine Schultz.

Return to the third Tuesday in March, not the first Tuesday in February after people are just recovering from Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa and New Year's. Folks were still sobering up from the holidays when the Jan. 5 voter registration deadline dawned.

Remember, the Springfield politicians' objective for changing the original primary date was to "kick-start" Obama's bid for president. Now that's over and an early primary doesn't do us folks any favors so let's return to the past primary date again. Also, now that Illinois has early voting times for folks to get out and vote before election day, let's return to having the polling places open from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. like the good old days.

If you don't like going to the polls in lousy weather, tell your lawmaker to move the primary back to the third Tuesday in March. Turnout is traditionally low for primaries and that's the way the incumbents like it. When the lawmakers helped boost Obama, they didn't see any downside in leaving it that way forever.

Robert Meale

Woodstock