This week was the Arkansas primary election and whether you voted or not, the importance of voting in primaries cannot be overstated.
A primary election comes around every four years, a few months before the general elections in November, determining who occupies several offices and positions throughout federal and state governments.
In Arkansas, many of the races were already set with only one candidate for both the Democratic and Republican parties being on the ballot, effectively making the primary a formality.
This was seen with the landslide victories and nominations of both President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump for the November election.
Nearly every other race on the ballot was an uncontested one with the incumbent candidate running unopposed.
For a few races though, like the vacant seats of Arkansas Supreme Court Chief Justice and another seat on the state Supreme Court, these functioned as general elections with multiple candidates running for the nomination.
The Associated Press called the race between Justice Courtney Hudson and Circuit Judge Carlton Jones for the vacant seat on Tuesday night for Hudson, which prevented Jones from becoming the first Black justice to serve on the court.
The race for Arkansas Supreme Court Chief Justice had not been called at the time of writing, but the results offered a chance at history, with three nominees all vying to be the first female Chief Justice in the court’s history.
While presidential races receive the majority of media attention, they are only one of the many races that show up on ballots across the nation during election season.
This leads to state government races being overlooked and allows candidates who can have a much more impactful role in citizens’ day-to-day lives to compete in races with a much smaller voter pool, which can make the path to victory or defeat that much smaller.
According to a study by States United Action, the average voter turnout for primary elections has been 27% of registered voters, while the general election turnout is 60.5% of registered voters in elections since 2000.
That is millions of Americans who are not making their voices heard in primary elections for one reason or another, meaning that those who turn up to vote can make decisions for those that don’t in regards to who represents them.
A study conducted by the National Conference of Citizenship showed that in the 2020 election, 54% of Arkansans voted compared to the national average of nearly 65%.
These results rank Arkansas dead last in the nation in voter turnout, with several different factors like education and income being deciding factors in these results.
In Arkansas, if you did not vote in the primary, you have allowed two candidates that you know little to nothing about to join our state’s Supreme Court that could make rulings that change your life.
You allowed other people to choose your state’s nominees for President of the United States, no matter how much of a formality the results turned out to be.
From the roads we drive on to the taxes that we pay, our elections play vital roles in our lives and not participating in them leaves you with little room to complain about things if they negatively affect you.
You can only make changes that you wish to see by voting and whether it is a primary or general election, your vote always matters.
If you did not participate in the primary, make sure you do so in the fall. Vote like your way of life depends on it, because it does.
Categories: Opinion
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