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If you haven't already, please vote today.
Today is the Super Bowl of our democracy. The day we get to choose who will lead us over the next few years.
It is the most important day of the year for our citizenship, and we hope all eligible voters make their way to the polls to exercise their right and perform their civic duty.
While today is the traditional Election Day where polls throughout the Juniata Valley are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m., we've already had opportunities for people to vote, and many have taken advantage of them.
While this is not a presidential election year and many local races are uncontested, we are hoping for large turnouts to help decide the state and local races where there is more than one candidate on the ballot.
Democracy works better when you have substantial numbers of people deciding the elections rather than a scant few. So please, go vote. With early voting and absentee ballot voting, we have seen a bit of a change in how quickly results are tallied.
If you opt not to vote and the outcome of the election doesn't go as you had hoped, you have no one to blame but yourself. Local election officials expect the turnout to be between 40 to 60%. Those in Juniata County were more optimistic than those in Mifflin County of folks getting out to vote.
If everyone believed their single vote won't matter, think of all the potential votes that won't be cast. In tight races, a few votes here and there could change the outcome for contested races such as the one for Mifflin County School Board or Juniata County Commissioners. So, please take a minute out of your day and head to your poll. Not sure where to go? The Sentinel's Friday, Nov. 3, edition listed the locations on page C2. Your county's website or www.pavoterservices.pa.gov will also have the answer. All you have to do is enter your address.
Of course, the 2020 presidential election was quite unique as the number of paper ballots was historically large due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
While we don't expect such trials in tabulating results this year, there still could be a delay. To that we say: Please be patient. Write-in ballots also must be counted, which could also add to the time it takes to get a final tally.
On Election Night, we figure to have a good picture of who is leading most races, but final official results might take a week or two or even a bit longer.
But that's OK, according to political experts who say, "Sometimes democracy takes time to get it right."