EDITORIAL: The best way to engage your civic passions is to get out and vote
The silver lining -- or should we say gold plating? -- is renewed civic engagement spurred by Trump's election and the ensuing controversies.
Now is the time to apply that renewed passion and interest in politics and governance.
Ballots will be mailed in a few weeks for the
The best opportunity to influence the direction of your government is to learn about candidates and issues -- and vote.
Keep marching and protesting. Let your friends and family know your stance via social media and plaster your car or bike with bumper stickers if you like.
But don't forget that the surest, and easiest, way to make a difference is to vote. It may not provide the immediate gratification of a good Facebook post but voting has actual and lasting effect.
Voting also gives weight and authority to one's political commentary. Those who don't bother voting silence their voice, and their ability to complain in good conscience about the direction their city, county and state are heading.
A handful of legislative races are especially consequential this year. Whether
Primary voters in
To help voters make their decisions, this editorial board is interviewing dozens of candidates and will begin publishing our endorsements next week. Come back to Seattletimes.com/opinion to read them.
Actual voting takes little time now that ballots in
Even so, just 25 percent of
Keep this in mind as we lament the gutting of the federal health-care system in the coming weeks.
It's no wonder the
They're keenly aware of low turnout numbers. Perhaps they believe that no matter how outrageously they act and how much harm they cause, most of us still won't care enough to vote.
Let's start proving them wrong in August.
Editorial board members are editorial page editor
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