According to the City of Long Beach's elections web page, there are 260,134 registered voters residing in Long Beach. Preliminary results show that in the April 8 primary election for mayor, just over 38,000 voters cast a ballot - that's a turnout rate of only 14.6%.
We can do better than this! Long Beach is a great place to live and work, but like any other large city, it has its challenges. Overcoming these challenges starts with the simple act of voting, so here are some reminders of why it's important to vote:
1. The people we elect make decisions that shape our lives daily
2. Voting lets you tell the government what you want it to do
3. If you don't vote, someone who does will be deciding what kind of government you get
4. Voting is your right and your duty as a U.S. citizen
5. Respect your right to vote - it's a privilege that many people in the world don't have
6. Women in the U.S. have had the right to vote for less than half our nation's history
7. Our right to vote unites us in all our rich and unique diversity as a people and a nation
8. Voting is even better than planting a tree as an expression of hope for the future.
Our voices, our vote, our power - making democracy work
Kimberly Ritter-Martinez, President
League of Women Voters, Long Beach Area
http://www.lba.ca.lwvnet.org/
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