To the Editor:
With the upcoming presidential election, as expected, politics is dominating the media. The general population is most engaged in our participatory democracy during presidential election cycles. However, local, county and state government has more of an effect on our daily lives than national politics.
It is analogous to the church pews being filled on Christmas and Easter, but any given Sunday there are empty seats. In Cape May County, the largest group of registered voters does not declare a political party. Previously, this population was referred to as “Independents;” now they are referred to as “Unaffiliated” or “Other.” Of a total of 67,714 registered voters in Cape May County, 28,673 do not declare a party. Obviously for some people this is a conscious decision. For others, they either simply did not think about declaring a party or do not know how to.
In Cape May County, if you are not registered to vote, you can register and declare a party when you renew your driver’s license, or by going to the Board of Elections website (www.capemaycountyvotes.com). You can print the Voter Registration Application and simply complete the form to register, choose a party and mail it postage free. If you are already registered, you can use the same form to simply declare a party. In addition, if you are a registered voter and have not declared a party, by voting in a primary, you can vote for either party’s candidates and then you will be registered to that party.
As county chairman of the Democratic Party, my obvious bias is for people to register as a Democrat. For those of you who typically vote for Democratic candidates and identify as a Democrat, it is important that you declare your party affiliation. This will help to strengthen the party by letting us know you and making it more efficient for the county committee to reach out to you and address your concerns.
Every vote counts, whether you declare a party or not, but the party becomes stronger and can serve you better if we know who you are and what community you call home.
As your county chairman, I look forward to serving you. Be in touch so we can promote the ideals and interests of the Democratic Party.
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