To the Editor:
In the United States, voting is one of our most fundamental rights. Since our nation’s founding, women, people of color, Native Americans and the poor have all had to fight for the right to vote.
But today, only about half of eligible voters participate in most elections, and New York state ranks among the lowest in the nation for voter turnout.
Voting is a right that we cannot take for granted. It’s also an important responsibility of every citizen in our democratic society.
Our elected officials at the local, state and federal levels make decisions that can have an enormous impact-whether they are school board decisions that affect our kids’ education or national policies with global consequences.
Our leaders need to know that we are paying attention and that they will hear from us at the ballot box.
If you haven’t registered to vote, please consider doing so, because your vote can make a difference.
Seymour James, 2012-13 president of the New York State Bar Association